Michael Burns Photograhy
by Sarah Mace
Woodbine-loving Flipcup collected her first graded laurels and a second straight stakes victory over the Toronto oval on Breeders’ Cup Saturday when she came from off the pace to post a driving win in the Grade 3, $150,000 Maple Leaf Stakes at 1 1/4 miles on the all-weather track. Her first graded stakes score bolsters her Woodbine record to an impressive four wins, a second and a third from six starts.
A 4-year-old Team Penney Racing homebred by Milwaukee Brew owned by Team Penney’s Shirl Penney in partnership with Wachtel Stable and Brous Stable LLC, Flipcup has been trained by Bill Mott since the spring of 2014. She kicked off her career at Woodbine with trainer Brian Lynch, for whom she won her first two starts and finished third in her stakes debut in the South Ocean in November 2013. In December 2013 she won the East View at Aqueduct in her first of two starts for George Weaver, following up with a runner-up finish in the open Busanda in January.
Winner of the New York Oaks at Finger Lakes in 2014 and consistently stakes placed in New York-bred company, Flipcup captured Woodbine’s $125,000 Classy n’ Smart Stakes in the final stride going 1 1/16 miles in her prior start on September 27.
Stretching out for the first time beyond nine furlongs in the Maple Leaf, Flipcup went to the post under Luis Contreras as the 7-1 third choice in the field of nine fillies and mares behind odds-on favorite Academic, a multiple graded winner issuing from the Reade Baker barn, and 6-1 Graham Motion trainee Sabbatical.
Michael Burns Photography
Settling off the pace at the rail after breaking from the seventh post position, Flipcup relaxed at the back of the pack with only one horse beaten through a first half-mile in 48.61, as favorite Academic led the way pushed along by longshot Club One Two.
Approaching the far turn, Contreras asked for more, and Flipcup began to pick off rivals through the turn, entering the top of the stretch in fourth. Driving inexorably to the front, she took over with a sixteenth to go and drew off to a two-length victory in 1:03.42. Academic finished second, followed by 11-1 Dido in third. [VIDEO]
Contreras said, “She relaxed right away. I was just trying to save ground and make one move in the stretch and she galloped out.”
Shirl Penney added, “She’s been spectacular. We started her career here (at Woodbine) with Brian Lynch who did a great job with her as a juvenile. She was bred by Milwaukee Brew, an Ontario sire, and foaled in New York. We bred her that way purposely so we could run in the Ontario-sired races here in Canada as well as in the New York races. She obviously seems to favor the synthetic here.”
A four-time stakes winner and seven more times stakes-placed, Flipcup’s record now stands at five wins, six seconds and five thirds from 17 starts with earnings of $472,666.
Foaled at Waldorf Farm in North Chatham, Flipcup is the fourth winner from four starters and lone stakes winner out of Dream Affair, an unraced daughter of Touch Gold. Dream Affair, who issues from the family of Canadian juvenile champion Wavering Girl, was purchased by Team Penny Racing for $11,000 at the 2007 OBS Winter mixed sale.
Dream Affair currently has a 2-year old filly by Giant Surprise named Giant Dreams Await who has not yet started, and a yearling colt by Simmard named Amys Dream. She was bred this year to Cross Traffic.
