Stein sweeps Woodbine’s weekend stakes

TORONTO, ON – Jockey Justin Stein completed a sweep of this weekend’s stakes at Woodbine courtesy of Sav’s winning effort in the $100,000 La Prevoyante Stakes early Sunday afternoon.

Stein also steered Dotted Line to a stakes victory in Saturday’s $100,000 Frost King.

After three years away from the track, Stein came out of retirement this year and has cracked the top 10 in the jockey standings with 35 wins at the 2019 Woodbine meet.

“My expectations were just to come here and ride and have a good time,” said Stein of his comeback. “It was pretty overwhelming, the support that I’ve had from the people that I rode for before I left, and I came back to open arms. It’s pretty awesome.”

Sav had finished just a neck shy of Ciuri in the seven-furlong Lady Angela Stakes earlier this year and was able to turn the tables on that Ontario-sired three-year-old filly while stretching out to 1-1/16 miles for the first time in the La Prevoyante.

After following loosely through tepid fractions, Sav and Stein hauled down pacesetter Ciuri and jockey Patrick Husbands in the stretch to win the main track feature by 1-1/4 lengths in 1:45.79.

“When I saw Patrick dart out of there, I knew he was trying to get an open lead and then back the pace up a bit, but I was just happy where we were,” said Stein, a career winner of more than 1,000 races.

“When I rode her the first time [finishing second in the Passing Mood Stakes], she settled and was really comfortable early in the race. And today, I just put my hands down on her and she was pretty happy sitting where she was. She just hit a stride and a rhythm. When she’s going easy like that, she’s saving energy for the run down the lane.”

Sent postward as the 3-5 favourite, Sav returned $3.30 to win. Ciuri held on for second in photo finish for place over the oncoming Golden Vision. Royal Wedding, Londonderry and Miss Ariel completed the order of finish.

Bred by Spring Farm, the Big Screen-Executive Affair filly is a half-sister to Cooler Mike, who Stein rode to a third-place finish last Sunday in the Grade 2 Autumn Stakes.

A $28,000 purchase at the 2017 Canadian Premier Yearling Sale, Sav has earned four wins, four seconds and a third from 11 starts while banking more than $215,000 in purses. She entered the La Prevoyante off a 6-1/2 length romp over Golden Vision.

“She’s getting better,” said winning trainer Ricky Griffith. “She’s very easy to be around and it’s been a pleasure.”