Tiz Breathtaking takes Mazarine Stakes in three-horse photo finish

Tiz Breathtaking, rallying from last place in the field of seven, got the bob on the outside under jockey Eurico Rosa da Silva to capture the 1 1/16-mile Mazarine Stakes by a head on Saturday at Woodbine Racetrack.

The Grade 3, $125,000 Mazarine went at 1 1/16 miles and attracted a field of seven two-year-old fillies.

Mike Doyle, who conditions the homebred Tiz Breathtaking for Windhaven Farms’ Bill Graham, was sending out his third winner of the afternoon.

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“When they broke there, it looked like we were going to have a nice little pace but then everybody slowed down and the pace was very, very slow,” said Da Silva, who was riding his meet-leading 21st stakes winner.

“I had no choice anymore. I was in that position and I said, ‘I’m going to wait here.’ I have a lot of faith in this filly because when you move, she sprints, she sprints home. When I moved in the turn, she just broke from there.”

Tiz Breathtaking had trailed through opening fractions of :24.82, :50.23 and 1:14.82 while Jolie Bay showed the way with Lady Azalea and Comic Kitten in hot pursuit.

Carnival Colors appeared to be getting the perfect trip while moving into third on the outside heading into the far turn while Tiz Breathtaking continued to trail midway around the final turn.

Turning for home, Carnival Colors was rallying in the middle and Comic Kitten looked very dangerous coming up the rail. But it was Tiz Breathtaking who carried the day, winning the three-horse photo ahead of Carnival Colors, with Comic Kitten a nose back in third. The final time was 1:45.28.

Lady Azalea, also owned and bred by Graham but trained by Roger Attfield, finished fourth and was followed home by Jolie Bay, Crumlin Time (a second Doyle entrant), and Not Orbinary.

“She had a lot of work to do and then she was very wide because it was the only place to go. There was no point going up the inside,” said Doyle. “I was certainly worried — I wasn’t sure she if she got there or not — but I knew she’d come running and I knew the trip wouldn’t be a problem.”

Doyle mentioned the November 4 Princess Elizabeth, a 1 1/16-mile race for Canadian-bred two-year-old fillies, as a logical target for Tiz Breathtaking but was keeping an ace up his sleeve.

“We might maybe talk about the Breeders’ Cup for two minutes, just in case,” said Doyle. “She got a few points, just in case it made any sense. It probably doesn’t, but it may do some other time.”

The Tiznow filly was the only stakes winner in the Mazarine line-up but was traveling beyond 5 ½ furlongs for the first time and making her first start in nine weeks.

Tiz Breathtaking returned $4.10, $2.60 and $2.20 and combined with 2-1 second choice Carnival Colors ($3.20, $2.50) for an exacta worth $10.60. Comic Kitten ($2.90) rounded out a $2 trifecta worth $35.10 and the $1 superfecta with Lady Azalea was worth $61.25.

Live Thoroughbred racing resumes at Woodbine on Sunday afternoon, featuring the $225,000 Cup and Saucer Stakes. First race post time is set for 1 p.m.