Play The Music Tops Whimsical Chart For Casse

Play the Music hit all the right notes in the $135,000 Whimsical Stakes (G3) on Saturday at Woodbine.

A wide-open field of 14 went postward in the six-furlong race for older fillies and mares, with longshot The Arcadian Way showing the way early.

Crossing over from the outside gate, The Arcadian Way held a two-length advantage over 5-2 choice Accomplished Girl through a quarter in :22.53, followed by Sunday Shoes and Trading Bay. Patrick Husbands, aboard Play the Music, nestled the daughter of Mo Town into eighth.

The Arcadian Way was still calling the shots through a half in :45.71, with Accomplished Girl in second and Blind Spot in third.

Husbands maintained a patient hand aboard the Mark Casse trainee as the field navigated the final turn for home as he looked for a clear path to make their bid.

Ahead by a half-length at the stretch call, the bay filly extended her lead with ease to the wire, going on to notch a 4¼-length triumph in a time of 1:10.59. Peacock Lass was second. Dolce Sopresa and Baby No Worries dead-heated for third. Honey Pants was scratched.

“Handicapping this race, I didn’t know who to follow,” said Husbands. “I had no clue. She broke sharp, I tried to follow this horse then that horse. I got stuck behind a horse in the turn and I tried not to push her. I tried to give her a nice trip and I got lucky with that trip.”

It was the fifth win from 12 starts and the third triumph in the past four starts for Play the Music.

Bred in Kentucky by Laura McKinney from the Jump Start mare Hey Little Sister and owned by Glassman Racing LLC, she arrived at the Whimsical off a sixth in the Giant’s Causeway (G3) on turf at Keeneland on April 13.

Play the Music finished ninth in her debut, the Glorious Song Stakes, at Woodbine, on Nov. 5, 2022. Her first stakes success came in the Leinster Lightning City Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs in February. 

Her first race back at the Toronto oval yielded a far more pleasing result as she notched her first graded win.

“She was just doing it easy, easy, easy and she won big,” said Husbands, of the $300,000 purchase at the OBS Spring Two-Year-Olds In Training Sale, where she was offered by Eisaman Equine.

Play the Music returned $8.70 for the win.