Dixie Law Holds Back Game Katie’s Grace In Wonder Where

Dixie Law displayed her class and drew on her winning turf experience to capture Sunday’s $250,000 Wonder Where Stakes at Woodbine. ​

Piloted by Woodbine’s leading rider Pietro Moran for the third straight race, the bay broke alertly from post 2 and settled in the second flight on the inside of La Culasse. A keen Cool Times cleared the field of six, opening up early on, in the 1 1/4-mile turf route for Canadian-bred 3-year-old fillies​.

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Under Rafael Hernandez, Cool Times led the field by five lengths through an opening quarter mile in :25.25 and extended the lead to 7 1/2 lengths through a half mile in :49.09. ​ ​ ​

Well in behind, Dixie Law raced on the rail with La Culasse to her outside. Bold Time was fourth on the fence with Bison City Stakes winner Katie’s Grace shadowing her in fifth. And the maiden Ashlee B trailed. ​ ​

The running order in the final jewel of the Canadian Triple Tiara remained status quo over six panels in 1:13.16, but the large lead Cool Times had built was diminishing rapidly. ​ ​

More than a quarter mile from home, Dixie Law, the only turf winner in the field, was given her cue by Moran and the pair rolled by outside a tiring Cool Times and seized the lead inside the quarter pole, through a mile time of 1:38.58.

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Katie’s Grace, brilliantly rated by Ryan Munger in her off-the-pace Bison City win, was enjoying a similar trip, while making her turf debut in the Wonder Where. Fanned out widest off the sweeping E.P. Taylor Turf Course turn, Munger had his filly perfectly coiled and three-sixteenths out, the battled was joined with Katie’s Grace outside and Dixie Law inside.

In the final furlong, a resolute Katie’s Grace gamely chipped away, but the stubborn Dale Desruisseaux-trained Dixie Law held on to score by a desperate neck in a final time of 2:03.75.

A 2025 Sovereign finalist in the 2-year-old filly category, Dixie Law, was ridden for the first time by Moran in the Woodbine Oaks, where they finished 2nd behind eventual King’s Plate winner Luster. The pair teamed again to finish 4th in the Plate, despite a rough trip. ​

The Wonder Where win was Moran’s first aboard the daughter of Tiz the Law and he credited his filly’s tenacity in holding off the runner-up.

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“When she (Katie’s Grace) first lined up to me, she (Dixie Law) was kind of waiting a little, but you know she’s a true example of a racehorse, she looked the other horse in the eye and fights,” said Moran. “She’s a lovely filly.” ​

Dixie Law broke her maiden in her lifetime bow, winning a 6-furlong sprint over the E.P. Taylor Turf Course by one and a half lengths. ​ ​After a sixth-place finish in the Grade 1 Natalma Stakes, the bay defeated males to win the 2025 Cup and Saucer Stakes on Woodbine’s inner turf. ​ She encored by returning to the main track, winning the Grade 3-Mazarine Stakes, en route to being named a Sovereign finalist.

Under previous regular rider Rafael Hernandez, Dixie Law opened her sophomore campaign, winning the seven-furlong Ruling Angel Stakes by a nose. She was subsequently 3rd in the Grade 3-Selene Stakes with Hernandez. ​ ​

“Hopefully after this race her preferred surface is the grass, but she’s very versatile,” said Desruisseaux. ​ ​

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After her fourth-place finish in the King’s Plate, Dixie Law showed one published breeze on August 30, a three-furlong move (:36) over the local training turf. ​

“We kind of went a little easy on her, she hasn’t missed a dance this year,” said the conditioner. “We kind of backed off her a little bit between the race and gave her an easy 2-minute lick over the grass.” ​ ​

Bred in Ontario by Garland E. Williamson from the Union Rags mare Bit of Dixie and owned by Hillsbrook Farms, Dixie Law improved to 5-1-1 from 10 career starts and earned her third turf triumph in four trips over the lawn. ​ ​ ​

“She likes the grass,” said Williamson. “We’re gonna race her again next year, she’ll be a 4-year-old and we’ll go from there,” assured the veteran breeder, who won the 2006 Wonder Where with Like a Gem. ​ ​

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Dixie Law, who went over the half million-dollar mark in career earnings, was 9-5 on the morning line, went off as the 8-5 favourite and returned $5.50 for the win. Katie’s Grace was a valiant second, Ashlee B closed to be third and Bold Time was 4th. ​

This story was originally published by Paulick Report on Sep 7, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Paulick Report as a Preferred Source by clicking here.