At the break, Our Secret Agent was out fastest, taking the lead over La Dragontea and Merveilleux, with Court Return and Barkin running toward the back of the short field. On the backstretch, the field maintained their early positions, with Our Secret Agent a length and a half in front of La Dragontea. Around the final turn, Rosario gave his filly her cue to move.

Entering the stretch, La Dragontea pulled even with a rail-running Our Secret Agent, Merveilleux to their outside. Inside the final furlong, La Dragontea took over the lead, pulling away from the field as Court Return came on in late stretch to take over second with Barkin rallying on the outside. At the wire, La Dragontea was a length in front of Court Return and Barkin, with Merveilleux and Our Secret Agent rounding out the field.

The final time for the 1 1/8 miles on the firm Woodbine turf was 1:50.33. Find this race's chart here.

La Dragontea paid $4.40, $3.10, and $2.10. Court Return paid $5.50 and $2.60. Barkin paid $3.30.

Bred in England by Bartisan Racing Ltd, the 4-year-old filly is by Lope de Vega (IRE) out of the Sadler's Wells mare La Concorde (FR). She is owned by Reeves Thoroughbred Racing and Rebecca Hillen. In 2021, the filly has three wins in five starts, for a lifetime record of four wins in 12 starts and career earnings of $246,882.

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North American trainers like Mark Casse, Roger Attfield, Shug McGaughey, Josie Carroll, Christophe Clement, Chad Brown and Brad Cox are represented in Turf Racing Festival races, along with Charles Appleby with several Godolphin horses from England. Coming back from Europe in an attempt to win the G1 Canadian International for a third time is the David Simcock-trained 9-year-old Irish-bred veteran, Desert Encounter. Legendary rider Frankie Dettori will also be on hand for the weekend races.

To help sort through it all, racing analyst and handicapper Jennifer Morrison – @jensblog on Twitter and a regular contributor to OntarioRacing.com and CanadianThoroughbred.com  – joins publisher Ray Paulick and bloodstock editor Joe Nevills in this week's edition of the Friday Show.

Jen also offers her post-race analysis of Tuesday's Fort of Erie Stakes – middle leg of the Canadian Triple Crown.

This week's Woodbine Star of the Week is Tap It to Win, a Tapit 4-year-old colt who rebounded from three consecutive defeats to win his first graded stakes last weekend in the G3 Seagram Cup.

Watch this week's show, presented by Monmouth Park, below:

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Launched in 2019, Woodbine's Ladies of the Lawn is a points-based bonus series that includes three premier turf races for fillies and mares. The owner of the horse who has accumulated the most points upon the conclusion of the three premier races will receive a $50,000 bonus, while the owner who horse who accumulated the second and third most points will receive a $15,000 and $10,000 bonus respectively.

The Ladies of the Lawn Series begins on Sunday, Aug. 22, with the Dance Smartly Stakes, followed by the Canadian Stakes on Saturday, Sept. 18 and concluding with the E.P. Taylor Stakes on Sunday, Oct. 17. Each race will be contested on the renowned E.P. Taylor Turf Course.

As part of the Ladies of the Lawn series, Woodbine is supporting charity Rethink Breast Cancer. From Aug. 22 to Oct. 17, racing enthusiasts can bid on specially designed pillows created from new saddle towels featuring the Rethink Breast Cancer logo. Proceeds from the online auction will be donated to Rethink Breast Cancer to assist those living with breast cancer.

“At Woodbine, we appreciate the role charities such as Rethink Breast Cancer play in our communities” said Zenia Wadhwani, Director, Corporate Citizenship. “We are excited to launch a fun way for fans to support Rethink Breast Cancer while taking home a unique piece of racing memorabilia.”

The auction is now live and will run until the end of the Ladies of the Lawn series on October 17.

To view and bid on the saddle towel pillows supporting Rethink, please click here.

The inaugural Ladies of the Lawn series was won by the Kevin Attard trained 2019 Canadian Horse of the Year, Starship Jubilee. In 2020, the series was won by Elizabeth Way, trained by Hall of Fame trainer, Roger Attfield.

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The 64th running of the E.P. Taylor, a 1 ¼-mile turf test for fillies & mares, 3-year-olds and upward, is complemented by a trio of stakes events, including the 67th edition of the Northern Dancer, a 1 ½-mile grass engagement for 3-year-olds and upward.

Sunday's card will also see nine starters contest the $250,000 Nearctic (G2T), while eight hopefuls face off in the $100,000 Display Stakes.

Trainer Gail Cox has a trio of talented turfers taking up the Sam-Son Farm charge, namely, Rideforthecause in the E.P. Taylor, as well as Count Again and Say the Word in the Northern Dancer.

A 4-year-old daughter of Candy Ride (ARG), Rideforthecause rolls into the E.P. Taylor off two straight scores, both of them contested at Woodbine.

After an allowance victory at 1 1/16 miles on the Toronto oval Inner Turf on Aug. 1, the bay was back in the winner's circle on Sept. 12, winning the Canadian Stakes presented by the Japan Racing Association (G2) at the distance of about 1 1/8 miles on the E.P. Taylor Turf Course.

Sent off at 22-1, the second longest shot on the board, Rideforthecause, with jockey David Moran aboard, took the lead in mid-stretch and went on to a four-length score over mutuel favorite Cambier Parc.

“I always thought she was a very nice filly,” praised Cox. “I knew that she needed a distance of ground, and she never got to do that. A mile-and-a-sixteenth on our outer turf course isn't that far. He [Moran] had never ridden her before and he said that she just did it as easy as could be. He was quite impressed.”

“I thought she was being overlooked [in the Canadian]. That's all. I train her so I have a little different outlook. I thought she was being overlooked because it was such a perfect distance for her.”

Now, the Ontario-bred will go after her fifth win in what will be the 11th start of her career.

Cox, who campaigned Sam-Son's El Tormenta to a 44-1 shocker in last year's Ricoh Woodbine Mile (G1T), is hoping to add another graded crown to her list of accomplishments on Sunday.

“She has been doing really well this year. It seems like she has become a little more settled with age. She was, as a young horse, a bit of a handful. She was nervous, but she's become way more settled. She's doing great. I wouldn't trade places with anyone. She's training well and she looks good. I'm very happy with her.”

Court Return, a 4-year-old daughter of Court Vision, goes after her second (Eternal Search Stakes) added-money title and first graded triumph. Bred and owned by Ivan Dalos, the Ontario-bred is 3-2-1 from 11 career starts.

Etoile, from the stable of Chad Brown, will look to build off a second-place effort in the Dance Smartly Stakes (G2T) on Aug. 15 at Woodbine. The 4-year-old French-bred daughter of Siyouni has three wins and a pair of seconds from nine lifetime starts for the ownership group of Peter Brant, Mrs. M.V. Magnier, and Mrs. Paul Shanahan.

Multiple graded stakes winner, 4-year-old Elizabeth Way, goes for her third graded title. Trained by Roger Attfield, the daughter of Frankel won The Very One Stakes (G3T) and Nassau Stakes (G2T) this year. Owned by John McCormack, the chestnut is 3-2-2 from 12 career starts.

Pretty Point, trained by Patrick Gallagher, goes after her first stakes crown. The 4-year-old daughter of Point of Entry launched her career with three starts at Woodbine before heading to California. She arrives at the Northern Dancer off a fifth in the Rodeo Stakes Drive (G1T) on Sept. 26.

Secret Message, a 5-year-old daughter of Hat Trick (JPN), seeks her seventh win in what will be the 19th start of the dark bay's career. Trained by Graham Motion, the well-traveled dark bay mare won the 2019 running of the Nassau (G2T).

Bred and owned by Augustin Stable, Theodora B. aims for her third straight stakes score after taking the Dance Smartly (G2T) on Aug. 15 at Woodbine, and the TVG Stakes on Sept. 15 at Kentucky Downs. The daughter of Ghostzapper has a record of 6-5-3 from 18 lifetime starts.

The E.P. Taylor Stakes is the final event in Woodbine's Ladies of the Lawn Series. At the conclusion of the series, the connections of the top three point-earners will receive $75,000 in bonuses ($50,000 for first, $15,000 for second, $10,000 for third). Elizabeth Way (18 points), Rideforthecause (10 points) and Theodora B. (10 points) are the top three point-earners to date. The inaugural winner of the 2019 Ladies of the Lawn Series was Starship Jubilee, Canada's reigning Horse of the Year.

Flying Trapeze won the inaugural running of the E.P. Taylor Stakes (known as the Nettie Handicap until 1981) in 1956. Trainers Lou Cavalaris Jr., Frank Merrill Jr., and Maurice Zilber have won three editions of the race. Kitty Girl (1957, 1958) is the only two-time winner.

$600,000 E.P. Taylor Stakes (Grade 1) – Race 7
Post – Horse – Jockey – Trainer

1 – Rideforthecause – David Moran – Gail Cox

2 – Pretty Point – Luis Contreras – Patrick Gallagher

3 – Etoile – Rafael Hernandez – Chad Brown

4 – Theodora B. – Justin Stein – Michael Dickinson

5 – Court Return – Daisuke Fukumoto – Josie Carroll

6 – Secret Message – Kazushi Kimura – Graham Motion

7 – Elizabeth Way – Emma-Jayne Wilson – Roger Attfield

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Trained by Gail Cox, Rideforthecause was notching her first stakes win while making her 10th career start in the Grade 2 Canadian, a 1 1/8-mile turf race for fillies and mares.

“I had a great trip,” said Moran, who was recording his second win in the Canadian after picking up the mount on successful 2012 English invader Barefoot Lady.

“She settled back there nice and relaxed,” said Moran, who was biding his time as Another Time and Amalfi Coast dueled through fractions of :23.80 and :46.55.

“I got a nice inside move just past the three to the two-and-a-half (poles), and just got myself in a good position to take on Raffi (jockey Rafael Hernandez, aboard Cambier Parc).

“And when I felt her picking up and kicking by him, I said, 'Oh, we have a shot to win this!' and she kept going very gamely.”

Rideforthecause was in front by a half-length through a mile in 1:32.75 and stopped the clock in 1:45.

Cambier Parc, coming off back-to-back Grade 1 stakes wins but making her first start in 11 months for trainer Chad Brown, sat a nice trip just outside the pacemakers and was moving for the lead as they hit the six furlongs in 1:09.49.

Although no match for the winner, the New York shipper was 2 1/4 lengths clear of Court Return for third money.

Court Return, the longest shot on the board at 30-1, trailed through the early stages but closed well for third money, 2 ¾ lengths before fourth-place Elizabeth Way.

Bold Script, Art of Almost, Another Time and Amalfi Coast rounded out the order of finish. Theodora B and Runway Dreamer were scratched.

“This filly loves this distance,” said Cox, who conditions the 4-year-old Rideforthecause for owner/breeder Sam-Son Farm. “I think she's run really well this year, she had one race where she was sort of too close to the pace and didn't run the greatest but she's a tough filly. She just hasn't had the opportunity to get the distance very often.”

“She gets a little bit wound and [having her secluded] seems to work really well for her.”

“She had me a little bit nervous, but she definitely sustained it (her rally).”

Moran agreed that getting Rideforthecause to settle was a key to victory.

“She was a little bouncy (before the race) but once we got behind the gate and took her back there, she was actually very relaxed,” said the jockey. “That might have just made the difference with her right there.”

Rideforthecause was notching her fourth career victory after knocking out her third allowance condition in her last start.

The  daughter of Candy Ride and Danceforthecause returned  $47.20, $14.50 and $9, and combined with Cambier Parc ($3.20, $2.70) for a 4-10 exacta worth $147.80. Court Return ($8.90) completed a 4-10-2 trifecta worth $1,654.90 and Elizabeth Way bottomed a 4-10-2-3 superfecta of $2,959.90 for $1.

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A dual hall of fame inductee, Attfield will look for his fourth Canadian crown, having won the 1984 edition with Dundrum Dancer, the 1994 running with Alywow, and the 2010 renewal with Miss Keller.

He'll have a pair of chances to add to his Canadian haul in the 1 1/8-mile stakes race for fillies & mares, three-year-olds and up, contested over the E.P. Taylor Turf Course.

A four-year-old daughter of Dansili (GB), Art of Almost has crafted a 3-3-4 mark from 15 starts for the ownership group of Frederick Seitz, Jon Kelly, Danny Ward, and Dr. Ted Folkerth.

The multiple graded stakes placed miss finished third in a pair of stakes races in 2019, the Dance Smartly (G2), and Pucker Up (G3).

Art of Almost heads into the Canadian off back-to-back fourth-place stakes outings, including her most recent engagement, the Dance Smartly on August 15.

What she lacks in size, offered Attfield, is made up for in effort.

“She's the same little tiny herself. She always tries. She's training into the race very well, actually.”

Godolphin-bred Elizabeth Way, a four-year-old daughter of Frankel, is enjoying a fruitful 2020 campaign, going 3-0-2 from six starts.

The chestnut, owned by John McCormack, took all the spoils in The Very One (G3) on February 29 at Gulfstream – her second start of the season – and won the Nassau Stakes (G2) on June 27 at Woodbine.

She arrives at the Canadian off a third in the Dance Smartly.

“It wasn't her race at all,” said Attfield, of the most recent performance. “She didn't really go into it as nicely as she had in all her other races. She didn't really run her race. She was running off the bridle with her head up. But at least she was third, anyway. She's coming into this one much better than she was the last one, for sure.”

Three-time stakes winner Amalfi Coast, who closed out her three-year-old season with a victory in the Bessarabian Stakes (G2), will look to notch her first win in 2020. The daughter of Tapizar comes into the Canadian off a third-place effort in the Seaway (G3) on August 16.

The Terra Racing homebred, trained by Kevin Attard (who won the past two editions with Starship Jubilee), is 4-2-2 from 11 lifetime starts.

Hoolie Racing Stable's multiple graded stakes placed Another Time has four wins, a second and three thirds from 12 starts.

Trained by Barbara Minshall, the four-year-old daughter of Munnings was second in this year's Nassau (G2), third in the Trillium (G3) and most recently, fourth in the Seaway (G3).

Bold Script, a four-year-old daughter of Speightstown, is 3-6-4 from 16 outings for owner and breeder Chiefswood Stables.

The Ontario-bred grey, trained by Stuart Simon, has contested four graded events, including a pair of third-place efforts in the 2018 Natalma (G1) and 2019 Selene (G3). She was the runner-up in the 2019 Bison City.

Cambier Parc, who last raced nearly a year ago, has won three of her past four starts – including back-to-back Grade 1 triumphs – for OXO Equine and trainer Chad Brown.

The four-year-old daughter of Medaglia d'Oro took the Del Mar Oaks last August and followed it up with a victory in the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup in October.

“I appreciate Larry Best giving me the opportunity with this horse,” Brown said after the Queen Elizabeth win. “She's a really well-bred, great-looking horse that anyone would love to have. I'm lucky to have her.”

Bred in Kentucky by Bonne Chance Farm, she is out of 2007 Canadian Horse of the Year and Triple Tiara winner Sealy Hill, who has also produced Canadian champion sprinter and Grade 2 winner Hillaby and Grade 3 winners Belle Hill and Gale Force.

Ivan Dalos' homebred Court Return goes for the natural hat trick after a romp on July 2 at Woodbine, followed by an Eternal Search Stakes triumph on August 22.

Trained by Josie Carroll, the four-year-old daughter of Court Vision was fourth in last year's Wonder Where Stakes at Woodbine.

Sam-Son Farm homebred Rideforthecause will be making her first stakes appearance since contesting the Tropical Park Oaks last December at Gulfstream.

The four-year-old daughter of Candy Ride is 3-0-1 from nine career starts. She arrives at the Canadian off a rallying score on August 1 at Woodbine, a 1 ½-length win at 1 1/16 miles over the Toronto oval's Inner Turf.

Bred and owned by Craig Singer, Runway Dreamer rallied from second-last at the quarter-mile mark to win an 11-horse 1 1/16-mile Inner Turf race on August 22.

Trained by Josie Carroll, the three-year-old daughter of Candy Ride has contested six of her career races at Woodbine, with the other two coming at Gulfstream.

This will be her third stakes appearance.

Classic Stamp (2004, 2005) and reigning Canadian Horse of the Year Starship Jubilee (2018, 2019) are the only two-time winners of the Canadian. Sam-Son Farm leads all owners with four wins, and Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame inductee Robin Platts tops all riders with five victories.

The Canadian Stakes, which is the third leg of Woodbine's Ladies of the Lawn bonus series, precedes the $1 million Queen's Plate, as the ninth of 13 races. The $250,000 Bison City Stakes, second jewel in the Canadian Triple Tiara series, goes as race eight. The $100,000 King Corrie (race two) and $100,00 Ruling Angel (race 12) overnight stakes are also on tap Saturday. First race post time is 12:30 p.m.

$250,000 Canadian Stakes (Grade 2)

Post – Horse – Jockey – Trainer – Morning Line

1 – Theodora B. – Kazushi Kimura – Michael Dickinson – 5-1

2 – Court Return – Luis Contreras – Josie Carroll – 20-1

3 – Elizabeth Way – Emma-Jayne Wilson – Roger Attfield – 4-1

4 – Rideforthecause – Davy Moran – Gail Cox – 20-1

5 – Another Time – Steven Bahen – Barbara Minshall – 12-1

6 – Amalfi Coast – Justin Stein – Kevin Attard – 6-1

7 – Runway Dreamer – Slade Callaghan – Josie Carroll – 20-1

8 – Bold Script – Patrick Husbands – Stuart Simon – 20-1

9 – Art of Almost – Daisuke Fukumoto – Roger Attfield – 15-1

10 – Cambier Parc – Rafael Hernandez – Chad Brown – 6-5

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