Ship-In Hooh Why Holds On in La Lorgnette Stakes

It was a sunny, but continuously windy day at Woodbine Racetrack on May 17th, 2009. Race eight on the card would have fans watch the tenth running of the La Lorgnette Stakes, which contained many star three-year-old fillies. Ship-in Hooh Why, owned by Derby Daze Farm Inc. and Mark Hoffman would take the wire by a half-length over a surging Tasty Temptation in a time of 1:45.46 in the $150,000 race.

The La Lorgnette provided an abundance of excitement on this day from the very get go. The field of nine, due to two scratches, would see a clean break with the exception of Yukari who would have a horrible start to keep her out of contention. Woodsmoke would take to the lead from the outside, practically running off with Pizarro, and she would open up a huge lead on the pack down the backstretch. Hooh Why and Bear's Lightning would watch the Keogh filly set the fractions, eight lengths in front, and put their bid in at the start of the second turn, being joined by Milwaukee Appeal. By the top of the stretch the aforementioned three would swallow Woodsmoke up and drive toward the wire separating themselves from the field, save a determined Tasty Temptation, who would join the battle to the wire. With Bear's Lightning weakening and Milwaukee Appeal unable to keep up to the Ashland Gr.I winner, Hooh Why, Tasty Temptation and rider Patrick Husbands would plug away closing the gap on the leader, but in the end, the Kenneth Hoffman trained filly would hold off the Casse pupil by a half-length.

Winning jockey Emile Ramsammy would talk about his first ride aboard the big, tough, chestnut filly, "What can I say about her, Hooh Why" begins the elated Ramsammy, "She ran as what was expected of her, and was bet down by the public, and won like a favorite should. I haven't been on her until today and I expected her to run well. She seems to be a proven horse. She won the grade one Ashland already this year and ran in California very creditably. With all the conditions today, a very windy day, it really takes away from a good race and a good horse because it's such a factor, I don't think you can see the best out of a horse in these kind of conditions."

When asked if there were any special instructions upon Hooh Why for their first time together Ramsammy explains, " No, I just want to thank Mark Hoffman for giving me the opportunity to be on this filly, he basically left it up to me. He told me, 'she's a nice horse, just ride her like a nice horse and best of luck.' She was a pleasant ride and I enjoyed it and rode her with a lot of confidence. She seemed like the best horse on paper and I rode her like the best horse and she ran pretty nice."

For the full results to the 10th running of the La Lorgnette Stakes click here: http://www.equibase.com/static/chart/pdf/WO051709CAN8.pdf