Sister Seagull overcame a rough start – which saw her forced to race near the rear of the field for much of the race – to earn a hard-fought, one-length victory in the $250,000 Wonder Where Stakes at Woodbine on Sunday, 11 September.
The three-year-old daughter of Hard Spun, who was trying turf for the first time, now boasts victories in two jewels of Canada’s Filly Triple Tiara. Sister Seagull won the Bison City Stakes last time out, which followed her runner-up finish in the Woodbine Oaks in July.
Sister Seagull was soundly bumped by rivals on either side of her coming out of the starting gate, then was forced to steady heading into the clubhouse turn. As a result, the chestnut filly found herself near the rear of the field through the early stages of the 10-furlong turf contest. She began to make up ground on the frontrunning Strega on the backstretch before swinging four-wide on the far turn for a clear run in the stretch.
Sister Seagull put away Strega at the top of the lane to take a narrow lead, but soon faced a new challenge from Swoop to Finish. The pair dueled through the stretch with Sister Seagull finally edging clear nearing the wire to post a one-length victory.
Sister Seagull was bred in Ontario by Sean Fitzhenry and races as a homebred for Sean and Dorothy Fitzhenry. She is out Champion and multiple Graded Stakes winner, Sweet Kitten (Kitten’s Joy) and is a half-sister to Stakes-placed Mo Big Cat (Uncle Mo). Dam Sweet Kitten is a full sister to Stakes winners Tweet Kitten and Saint Prado.
Hard Spun's nine other stakes winners in 2022 include last year's G1 Breeders' Cup Sprint winner Aloha West, Hard Empire (G2 Missile Stakes in Aust.), Exotic West, Sparkle Blue, Spun Glass and Loyalty.
