NORTHERN PASSION became FIRST SAMURAI’s fifth stakes horse in four days with her 1 1/2-length win in Woodbine’s Sweet Briar Too S. Winner of the Natalma S.-G3 at two, the seventh stakes winner this year for her sire settled in midpack for the first half of this seven-furlong all weather track event. Swinging six wide into the stretch, NORTHERN PASSIONrallied to overhaul the leaders inside the furlong marker and won in a hand ride. She also won the Fury S. at 3 and last year’s Zadracarta S., and was also runner-up in the $500,000 Woodbine Oaks, beaten less than a length, and the Ontario Debutante S., and placed in the Nassau S.-G2. A $95,000 Claiborne Sales graduate out of their 2010 Keeneland September consignment and a $220,000 OBS March 2-year-old Select Sale purchase, NORTHERN PASSION is trained by Mark Casse for owner John C. Oxley and has earned $617,122.
