{"id":2633,"date":"2019-06-08T19:45:25","date_gmt":"2019-06-08T23:45:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/uat.woodbine.com\/queensplate\/desert-ride-steals-the-spotlight-in-the-woodbine-oaks-presented-by-budweiser\/"},"modified":"2019-06-08T19:45:25","modified_gmt":"2019-06-08T23:45:25","slug":"desert-ride-steals-the-spotlight-in-the-woodbine-oaks-presented-by-budweiser","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/uat.woodbine.com\/kingsplate\/2019\/06\/08\/desert-ride-steals-the-spotlight-in-the-woodbine-oaks-presented-by-budweiser\/","title":{"rendered":"Desert Ride steals the spotlight in the Woodbine Oaks Presented by Budweiser"},"content":{"rendered":"

TORONTO, June 8, 2019 \u2013 Last of 10 through the first quarter, Desert Ride circled the field to win the 64th<\/sup> running of the $500,000 Woodbine Oaks Presented by Budweiser, the first leg of the Triple Tiara for Canada\u2019s finest three-year-old fillies, on Saturday at Woodbine.<\/p>\n

Steve Bahen worked out the winning trip in the 1-1\/8-mile feature aboard the Sam-Son Farm homebred, who reeled in the dueling front-runners Intanga Rose and Speedy Soul then collared late leader Bold Script at the wire in 1:50.43.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve watched her races and she\u2019s come from behind,\u201d said Bahen, who was partnered with the Neil Howard trainee for the first time in her four starts. \u201cNeil said just get her settled in and try to give her a good trip. Down the backside, it looked like I\u2019m going to get out now and give her a shot to run at them, and I started a little early with her, but when she turned for home, she gave me a huge run like she did in her previous races.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bahen collected his third Oaks trophy following prior wins with Silent Fleet (1996) and Nipissing (2013).<\/p>\n

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Jockey Steven Bahen kisses the trophy after guiding Desert Ride to victory in the Woodbine Oaks Presented by Budweiser. (Michael Burns Photo)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

While Desert Ride was gearing up for her big stretch run, Intanga Rosa, who set panels of :23.48, :48.01, and 1:12.55, was confronted by Speedy Soul in the final turn and those two engaged in a head-to-head battle at the top of the lane.  Bold Script, who had followed in mid-pack, swept past the pair with a furlong to go, but Desert Ride was closing with a fury and got up in time to score the victory by a neck. Speedy Soul edged out Intanga Rose for third.<\/p>\n

The daughter of Candy Ride out of Fun in the Desert was making her Woodbine debut and is now a three-time winner from four starts. The lightly raced filly has finished no worse than second.<\/p>\n

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Desert Ride and jockey Steve Bahen winning the $500,000 Woodbine Oaks Presented by Budweiser on Saturday, June 8 at Woodbine Racetrack. (Michael Burns Photo)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cA fantastic filly from a fantastic family and we\u2019re just so happy to be back up here again,\u201d said Rick Balaz, President & General Manager of Sam-Son Farm. \u201cIt\u2019s been a little while for us and it\u2019s pretty exciting. We\u2019ll see where we go next with her, but hopefully she\u2019s got a great future.\u201d<\/p>\n

Whether the $1 million Queen\u2019s Plate (June 29) is in her future has yet to be determined.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf I\u2019m taking a line from the Raptors, you play it one game at a time and we just got this one on the scoreboard and we\u2019ll see how she comes out of it and then we\u2019ll have a conversation as we always do about what to do next,\u201d said Sam-Son Farm\u2019s CEO, Mark Samuel. \u201cBut we\u2019re very excited by her and we love our good fillies.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sent postward at odds of 8-1, Desert Ride paid $18.50 to win.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u2019s a lovely filly,\u201d echoed Howard. \u201cThe mile and an eighth was obviously something that we were looking forward to and she needed every bit of that. We couldn\u2019t be more thrilled as Mr. Samuel and Mr. Balaz said. She\u2019s just a just a lovely filly, easy to train and the boy [Bahen] rode her beautiful.\u201d<\/p>\n