TORONTO, Canada--Augusta Stable's Theodora B, trained by Michael Dickinson, won the $175,000, 1 3/8 miles G2 Dance Smartly Stakes on the turf at Woodbine on Aug. 15, while Bloomfield Farm's Wet Your Whistle won the Karl Boyes Stakes at Presque Isle on ?Aug. 17.
Wet Your Whistle (Photo by Coady Photography)Wet Your Whistle. who won two stakes last year, including the G1 Highlander Stakes at Woodbiine, saved ground around the turn at Presque Isle and went on to win by a length.
Theodora B set the pace and won by 3/4 length under a drive to score her first graded stakes victory.
Just a month earlier, she had placed sixth in the G3 Trilliam Stakes at Woodbine
"SHE WAS interfered with in that race," said Dickinson. "She had a mark on her hind leg when she came back. It stopped her, but it was as much mental as physical. She's been very consistent. She's been breaking down the door for a win in a graded stakes."
Theodora B now as five wins, five seconds and three thirds from 17 starts.
"We're looking at some more graded stakes that are upcoming, both in Canada and in the States," said Dickinson. "I'll have to discuss it with George and Julia (Strawbridge)."
Theodora B clearly has a mind of her own.
"You know that horses are creatures of habit, and they can tell time," said Dickinson. "I feed Theodora B at 4:30 in the morning and then turn her out wit a friend at 4:45 and bring her in after nine to train."
"In her first race this year, at Laurel, the van was coming for her at 7:30, so I went out after just two hours to catch her. She said, `I know my four hours are not up. I'm not coming in. I had visions of calling the stewards at Laurel and saying, I can't catch her, I'll have to scratch her."
Finally, Dickinson did catch her, and she won the allowance race.
"Then after the hurricane a couple of weeks ago, the fields were very wet, so I turned her out in a sand ring," said Dickinson. "When I went to catch her, she said `I'm not coming into the barn. I want my grass field.' So I had to graze her before she would come in."
"She reminds me of some ladies I know," said Dickinson. "She has a mind of her own."
GRAHAM MOTION had a very unusual one-two finish in an allowance race at Saratoga on Aug. 16, doing it with half-brothers who were only separated by a neck at the finish.
Alex Campbell's He's No Lemon won the $78,000. 1 3/8 mile Allowance Optional Claiming race by a neck over Midnight Tea Time.
He's No Lemon is a 4-year-old gelding by Lemon Drop Kid out of It's Tea Time, by Dynaformer, while Midnight Tea Time is a 5-year-old by Midnight Lute out of It's Tea Time.
BERNIE HOUGHTON had a pair of winners at Penn National on Aug. 14. one for his mother and one for himself.
Hiis own homebred, Fairy Dust, won a $17,864, 6 furlong maiden Claiming race by a length, while Sylmar Farm's Pocopson Station, bred and owned by Betsy Houghton, won a $12,766, 6 furlong Claiming race bu 1/2 length.
