Eddie Woods training grad dueled valiantly with Merveilleux down the Woodbine stretch to win the $125,000 Ontario Lassie S. for 2-year-old fillies by a head.

The daughter of Curlin has ran in five stakes in her six starts this year, including her debut, when she was second in the Victoria S. She has also placed in the Mazarine S. (G3) and the Shady Well S., all at Woodbine, and now sports a record of 3-1-1 and has earned $200,429 for breeder Hill 'n' Dale Equine Holdings, Inc., who own the filly along with Windsor Boys Racing.

Sunday's victory came right down to the final strides of the 1 1/16-mile contest on the synthetic surface. Curlin's Voyage sat several lengths off the pace for the first five furlongs, then steadily advanced on the turn to battle for the lead after turning for home. She and the runner-up were nearly inseparable to the wire, with Curlin's Voyage edging clear just before the wire.

“I knew the horse on the inside (Merveilleux) – she’s a good filly – but I just wanted to keep a head on her swinging for home,” said winning rider Patrick Husbands of the stretch duel. 

Curlin's Voyage is trained by Josie Carroll. 

Pedigree notes from the TDN:

The winner’s dam Atlantic Voyage is a full-sister to GISW Stormello and GSW My Best Brother, as well as a half to SW/GISP ‘TDN Rising Star’ Cherry Lodge (Bernardini) and GSW Gala Award (Bernardini). She produced a colt by Kitten’s Joy this term before being paired with Speightstown.