Moonlit Promise gets first graded stakes win

Malibu Moon’s 4-year-old filly Moonlit Promise earned her first graded stakes victory in Saturday’s $125,000 Ontario Fashion S. (G3) at Woodbine.

The bay filly, a Hill ‘n’ Dale Equine Holdings homebred, previously won a pair of listed stakes and is now 5-2-0 in eight starts, with earnings of $250,109. She is one of Malibu Moon’s dozen stakes winners this year.

Making just her second start of the year, Moonlit Promise came out of the gate alertly, but settled back off the pace as the field of seven made its way through the first quarter mile in :22.52. Four-wide all the way around the turn, Moonlit Promise struck the front near the top of the stretch and was going best of all under the wire, winning by 1 1/4-lengths in a swift 1:09.06 for the six furlongs.

“This filly has been really, really good to me,” said her regular rider Gary Boulanger. “Last year, I got to ride her and this year, first time out of the box, she wins the (6 ½-furlong) Sweet Briar Too (Sept. 17 at Woodbine). She came into this race really, really well. She trained forwardly and I wasn’t worried about the cutback in distance. She’s impressed me all along.”

Pedigree Notes from the TDN:
Moonlit Promise’s 2-year-old full-sister Early Light also won at Woodbine Saturday, breaking her maiden at first asking for trainer Josie Carroll and Hill ‘n’ Dale. Their GSW dam Smart Surprise, a half-sister to MGISW Court Vision, also raced for these connections. Moonlit Promise’s third dam is MGSW & GISP Weekend Surprise, who is responsible for Horse of the Year and top sire A.P. Indy and MGISW Summer Squall.