Tug River Princess made her 2009 debut a winning one with a 1:52.2 victory in the Classic Distaff.
John Campbell was in the driver’s seat behind the 4-year-old daughter of Badlands Hanover - Aucryifiwanto who got away last in the compact field of five and watched race favorite A And Gs Confusion put up uncontested splits of :27.1, :56.4 and 1:25.
As the field approached the top of the stretch, Arts Diva had made a first-over bid to challenge with Hana Hanover sitting in the pocket third and Michelles Power poised second-over in fourth. Tug River Princess, meanwhile, remained glued to the pylons in fifth.
Campbell remained patient with his charge and once clearance became available on the inside, Tug River Princess easily powered past her rivals with a strong :27 second final quarter. Hana Hanover rallied well to finish second with A And Gs Confusion settling for the show spot.
It was the 18th career victory for Tug River Princess who races under the care of Darren McCall while in Canada. The lion’s share of the purse boosted her career bankroll to just over $940,000 for the Let It Ride Stables Inc., Robert Cooper Stables and Jerry Silva. (Woodbine)