by Karen Briggs, WEG media

Toronto, ON — She got a late start, but 3-year-old pacing lass Smashbox is making up for lost time now. Going into Friday night’s (Dec. 4) C$46,600 Ontario-sired Autumn stake final at Woodbine, she’s riding a six-race win streak and is looking for number seven.

Conditioner Jim Ainsworth says she was a little hard to handle at two.

New Image Media photo

Smashbox defeated Mach Me Not by a half-length in last Friday’s Autumn Stakes at Woodbine.

“She had a habit of kicking in the stall, and as a result of that she had some soundness problems training down and never got to the races as a 2-year-old. All her problems were her own fault, but it’s all resolved now as she has matured, and she’s quite content in her stall.

“She seems to have a lot of talent. She drives with two fingers, and she’s got gate speed and she’s got a little kick at the end, too. And she has a wicked pedigree if you look at it.”

The daughter of Mach Three and the Western Hanover mare Sunone (who is a half-sister to $772,000 earner Moon Beam and $850,000 winner Ideal Weather), Smashbox finally made her racing debut this past August, scoring a win at Dresden Raceway. She followed her initial success with a second at Woodstock and a third at Sarnia’s Hiawatha Horse Park, and hasn’t lost since.

At the end of October she put together back-to-back victories in the initial legs of the Middlesex Series at London’s Western Fair, then swept the series by taking the November 7 final despite having stepped out of a hopple somewhere along the trip.

“I wasn’t sure if the bigger track was going to suit her, but she shaved nearly a second off her best time last week in the Autumn elim, so I was pretty pleased with her,” says Ainsworth. “We got the three hole for Friday night and I think she’s in good shape.”

The morning line handicappers apparently agree, as they’ve assigned Smashbox 3-1 favorite status in the field of 10 fillies. Rick Zeron has been assigned to drive.

The Autumn Series final for sophomore pacing fillies is race six on Woodbine’s Friday, December 4 card. Post time is 9:10 p.m.