Caretaker Caity Hillier cheers on the little filly who could.

by Melissa Keith

As industry focus shifts to yearling sales and the upcoming Breeders Crown, a foal with a late start to her career can get lost in the shuffle. Favoritism was born on June 10, 2023, the last of that year’s foals born at Millar Farms of Stouffville, ON.

Now 2 years old, the pacing filly had a close connection to Caity Hillier from the very beginning. On the evening of the Bettors Delight daughter’s first career start, the former Millar Farms caretaker visited Woodbine Mohawk Park to show her favoritism for Favoritism.

The Puslinch, ON horsewoman recalled the auspicious timing of the filly’s birth. Favoritism’s dam, Hidden Gem, went into labor as her most successful offspring was racing in a 2023 Roses Are Red elimination at Mohawk.

“I actually happened to be there the minute she was born,” said the filly’s former groom, adding that she wasn’t sure why Favoritism was born so late in the season. All of Hidden Gem’s other offspring were born between Feb. 21 and April 12. When the mare was bred back to Bettors Delight in 2022, USTA records show she was first inseminated on April 8 and last inseminated on July 6.

“I happened to be in the [farm] house, watching her full sister, Silver Label, race that evening,” Hillier said. “As Silver Label crossed the finish line, I got the call that her mother Hidden Gem just started foaling, so I rushed out to the barn, about 9:30 at night, and I got to see her just as she came into this world. I spent the first year-and-a-half of her life with her, every single day.”

The tiny daughter of Bettors Delight had big shoes to fill.

Silver Label (p, 4, 1:47.3m; $1,345,501) finished second to Treacherous Reign on the night of Favoritism’s birth, and was second to Grace Hill a week later in the 2023 Roses Are Red final. Voted O’Brien 2-Year-Old Pacing Filly of the Year in 2022, Silver Label won 26 of 61 lifetime starts against the top distaff pacers of her time. She retired after winning the Mohawk Filly and Mare preferred on Dec. 21, 2024 for driver James MacDonald and trainer Nick Gallucci. Now starting her career as a Millar Farms broodmare, Silver Label was bred to Always B Miki in early 2025.

Favoritism’s other two full sisters are gritty Woodbine/Mohawk/Yonkers campaigner Franschoek (p, 5, 1:51.2s; $179,383), now a Millar Farms broodmare, and Savethelastdance (p, 3, 1:51.3s; $193,782), an Ontario Sires Stakes Gold winner at ages 2 and 3 who produced her first foal, by Bulldog Hanover, this year.

Hillier said Favoritism was born with an outsized personality.

“She was such a sweetheart from day one,” she said. “She was born about mid-June, and she was just this tiny little thing compared to her big sister Silver Label, both literally and figuratively. She always stayed dainty, but she had a heart of gold from day one. I really hoped that she would race well.”

Although the youngest foal at Millar Farms, Favoritism was a fast learner.

“She was the easiest baby I think we had that year,” Hillier said. “She took to haltering instantly. I had her picking up feet from about a month old. She was just so agreeable, like she took everything in stride. I couldn’t have been more proud of her.”

Hillier watched Favoritism growing up on the farm, frequently napping in the summer sunshine. She was watching again, trackside at Mohawk, when Favoritism and driver James MacDonald joined the race 8 post parade on Friday (Sept. 19) night. While no longer working for Millar Farms, Hillier said she still felt a strong connection to the little filly who could.

Favoritism didn’t disappoint, clearing fast-leaving Born To Fly on the first turn, and fighting to regain the lead after E A Hazel took control before the half. The 1-5 favorite held off Docs Girl Friday and Amazing Addy in deep stretch, getting her maiden 1:56 win at first asking. Every other filly in the race was older than the winner, with half of her rivals foaled in March 2023.

Nick Gallucci invited Hillier into the winners’ circle photo. When she called out “Cookie,” Favoritism looked in her direction.

“Her barn name for us was ‘Cookie,’” Hillier said. “I hope she recognized me; it seemed like she did. I hope that when I cross paths with them later in life, that they remember me, and they usually do, which I hope means that I’m doing something right.

“It’s so amazing. I never get over seeing them go from these little itty-bitty foals to being full-grown racehorses. I did take a job a little closer to home. I’m sad to have left Millars’. They were so great to me for so many years, but it’s amazing to see what she’s become, and I wish her all the best success from here on out.”

Putting Favoritism’s late start into perspective, she was just 18 days old at the same time of year (June 28) when Chantilly (p, 3, 1:49.4s; $786,862), Millar Farms’ homebred Canadian Horse of the Year, was winning her first qualifier at Mohawk last season. A year ago, on the same weekend as Favoritism’s maiden victory, Chantilly was capturing the She’s A Great Lady final.

With her most famous stablemate on the brink of a comeback tonight (Oct. 2) in Ontario Sires Stake Gold leg 5, little Favoritism will make her second career start on Saturday (Oct. 4) night.

Hillier still works as an equine caretaker, at a multi-breed farm not focused on racing. But on nights at the track, the emotions of a harness racing groom are quick to resurface.

“It brings tears to my eyes every time I see any of them, especially in their first start, whether they win or come dead last or anywhere in between, I’m always just so proud of the horse that they’ve become, but it’s so much more special when they get that first win,” she said. “Definitely congratulations to Nick Gallucci for getting her out there and getting that first win in her first lifetime start. I’m excited to see how she continues.”