Lady Cop Wins 59th Running of Osiris Stakes

George Williams Photo

The Inside Track | Issue #43
At the Post By G.S. Thompson

For the second time in a row, Manitoba-bred Lady Cop called on her big heart to win, this time in the 59th running of the $40,000 Osiris Stakes on Monday night.

The 2-year-old filly by Vengeful Wildcat-Agolo Bynoe by Successful Appeal dueled inside favoured gelding Adjournment to the top of the stretch and opened up to win by three lengths, being kept to task through the stretch to hold safe from her male rival, who certainly wasn’t giving up.

Trained by Mike Nault for A2 Thoroughbreds and True North Thoroughbreds, and groomed by sisters Charlotte and Olive Johnston, the big dark bay filly was ridden by hot jock Renaldo Cumberbatch, who ended up winning four of the seven races on Monday night.

Bred by Dr. Betty Hughes, Lady Cop has now won all three of her starts and earned almost $60,000 since being purchased for $12,000 by Pat Beavis at last year’s Manitoba CTHS Yearling Sale. And she could be something special.

“You just get that feeling when you see her,” said Nault. “She’s a professional. In the barn and in the races. I think she beat a pretty nice horse in Adjournment. He hooked her and she ran easy, switched leads into the stretch and opened up like a good thing. She knows what she’s doing.”

In her race before the Osiris, the Debutante Stakes, Lady Cop was ultra-game, digging to win by a neck after looking beaten in mid-stretch.

“She’s been awesome to work with,” said groom Charlotte Johnston. “Just the sweetest baby,” said fellow groom, Charlotte’s sister Olive.

The 56-year-old Nault has been at the training game for over 20 years and is following up on his stakes-winning 2021 season with another strong year with a record of 13-5-8 from 54 starts for purse earnings of $154,216, including a victory in the Elite Mercedes Stakes with older horse Itsthattime, also owned by True North Thoroughbreds.

Last year, True North Thoroughbreds campaigned Debutante Stakes and champion winner Bankin On Betty with Nault, who also guided A2 Thoroughbreds’ Diamond Digger to three stakes wins and a championship. And there may be a few more good 2-year-olds yet to come from Nault.

He’s currently preparing a pair of youngsters by Oxbow and Uncle Mo. Could they be better than Lady Cop? That’s a lot to ask, considering the size of her heart, but you never know. The fun part is finding out, and we’re all here for the same reasons.

Lady Cop could start in the $40,000 Buffalo Stakes or the $50,000 Winnipeg Futurity Stakes next, and maybe even follow that up with a chance in the $100,000 CTHS Sales Stakes in Alberta.

Hopes and dreams.