Husbands wins Eternal Stakes in thrilling fashion

Veteran Barbadian rider Patrick Husbands stole the honours at Woodbine when he outlasted 3-1 choice Breathing Fire in a searing stretch duel, to win the CAN$100 000 Eternal Search Stakes aboard 5-2 favourite Fashionably Fab.

Up against the three-year-old and upward fillies and mares in the feature on Sunday, Husbands battled the entirety of the 7-½ furlong trip with the determined Breathing Fire before beating the four-year-old bay filly on the head bob in one minute, 30:67.

The conquest marked the third stakes win for Fashionably Fab, as the three-year-old filly also won last month’s Rondeau Stakes at Fort Erie and the Shady Well Stakes at Woodbine last December.

“I knew she won, but throughout the race, Emma (jockey aboard Breathing Fire) had a decent filly,” said Husbands.

“I was watching the whole way. Emma had so much horse and my horse was happy. Emma’s horse would not give up, but she got the job done.”

The break was a level one but Fashionably Fab and Breathing Fire showed early, with 7-1 chance Trading Bay stalking from third and the remainder of the field bunched closely together.

With Breathing Fire half-length ahead and Fashionably Fab eyeing her closely on the backstretch, the race returned fractions of 23.16 seconds for the quarter mile and 47.16 for the half-mile.

Approaching the turn, Husbands brought Fashionably Fab up to join Breathing Fire and the pair sparked a heated stretch battle which was settled only at the wire by the narrowest of margins.

For Husbands, the victory was one of two on the 10-race card, the 50-year-old multiple Woodbine champion also clinching race four with 5-1 bet Midnight in Malibu.

Going a mile and sixteenth, Husbands settled the three-year-old colt well off the pace set by 6-1 choice Fanore, before finding room in the stretch drive to get by late and win by three-quarter lengths. (CMC)

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