TORONTO, Canada (CMC) — Jamaican Shaun Bridgmohan produced a superb ride to steer 4-1 bet Never Retreat to the capture of the CAN $300,000 Dance Smartly Stakes at Woodbine on Sunday.

Always in contention throughout the 1 1/8-mile trip, the 32-year-old stormed to the front with a furlong to run, dismissing a serious threat from Mekong Melody and pre-race favourite Bay to Bay, to reach the wire in a time of one minute, 46.48 seconds.

The victory was the third money-added win this year for the six-year-old mare who also won the Grade 3 Honey Fox Stakes at Gulfstream in March and the Grade 2 Jenny Wiley Stakes at Keeneland in April.

“She’s a filly that’s so relaxed sitting off of horses and when she made the lead she was looking around for competition. I switched sticks left-handed and she gave me what I needed,” explained Bridgmohan, whose regular stomping grounds are at Churchill Downs.

“She’s such an honest filly and she broke sharply and wanted to put herself in the game. She’s an old pro. She does everything right and I just felt I was a winner because she was so comfortable at every point that I just let her do her thing.”

Trinidadian Emile Ramsammy made all the early running with 54-1 long-shot War Tigress, racing through the quarter mile in 24.87 seconds and the half-mile in 48.37.

Bridgmohan sat Never Retreat quietly on the outside with an eye on the leader, as Mekong Melody and No Explaining also tracked.

Once the race turned for home, War Tigress lost thrust along the rails to fall out of contention as Bridgmohan surged to the front with Never Retreat.

He then held off Mekong Melody and the fast-finishing Bay to Bay, to get home by 1 1/4 lengths.

The victory for Never Retreat was revenge for her loss to Bay to Bay in last month’s Grade 2 Nassau Stakes at Woodbine.