Woodbine: Coffee Clique scores in Selene Stakes

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – The improving Coffee Clique came from off a sizzling pace to land her first stakes win in the Grade 3, $156,300 Selene at Woodbine on Sunday.

Racing with a substantial lead, longshot Leigh Court set fractions of 23.24 seconds, 46.66, and 1:11.48 in the 1 1/16-mile route for 3-year-old fillies. She began to tire on the far turn, and Coffee Clique hit the front early in the stretch and went on to score by four lengths in a snappy 1:43.63.

The Ontario-bred Nipissing rallied for second, a strong effort that could make her the favorite in the June 9 Woodbine Oaks. Overheard finished a neck behind her in third, while Spring Venture closed belatedly from last for fourth in the seven-horse field.

After being favored throughout much of the betting, Coffee Clique returned $7.60 as the second choice. She banked $90,000 for Amerman Racing and trainer Brian Lynch, who gave jockey Luis Contreras a leg up.

“I got a perfect trip,” Contreras said. “I tried to get her to relax and save horse for the end. I had a lot of horse at the quarter pole, and she just gave me everything at the end.”