This year's edition of the Canadian Triple Tiara concludes when a field of nine talented 3-year-old Canadian-bred fillies chase top prize in Saturday's $250,000 Wonder Where Stakes, at Woodbine in Toronto, Ontario.
Set at the distance of 1 ¼-miles on the E.P. Taylor Turf Course, the Wonder Where drew sophomore stars Munnyfor Ro, winner of the Woodbine Oaks presented by Budweiser (first jewel in the series), and Il Malocchio, third in the Oaks and winner of the second jewel, the Bison City Stakes, on August 28.
The race has also attracted the ultra-consistent Emmeline, a dark bay daughter of Violence.
Trained by John Mattine for RCC Racing Stable Limited and Realm Racing Stables, the filly, bred in Ontario by the late Bill Graham, has four seconds and one third from seven career starts.
After back-to-back fourth-place results in her first two starts last August, Emmeline was third, at 57-1 in the Princess Elizabeth Stakes, to close out her rookie campaign.
Emmeline launched her sophomore season with the first of four straight seconds in a seven-furlong Tapeta race at Woodbine this June. Her runner-up finishes include the Woodbine Oaks and Bison City.
Mattine is hoping his hard-trying horse can break her maiden in style on Saturday.
“She's in good order,” said the stakes winning conditioner. “I think she raced well in all four of those races. I'm not disappointed in any of them. I thought her second race this year (July 10) where she just got nailed at the wire… it could have gone the other way, but you have to give credit to the other horse (Miss Marie, also entered in the Wonder Where) who won that day.”
He's expecting another strong showing this weekend.
“She's a game filly, she really is. It's lovely to have her. I've walked the (E.P. Taylor) surface and I know it's a little different than it is in the summertime. My opinion is that whoever wants the distance and that type of surface will win it. I think it will be a tight race. I don't foresee it as one horse blowing the others out. I'm looking forward to a good race.”
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A chestnut daughter of Munnings, Munnyfor Ro, trained by Kevin Attard, heads into the Wonder Where off a fourth-place finish in the Queen's Plate on August 22.
Owned by Raroma Stable, Munnyfor Ro has compiled a record of 2-2-2 from 10 starts, which includes a runner-up outing in the Grade 3 Selene Stakes in July.
The filly is no stranger to turf, with six grass races under her saddle, highlighted by a maiden-breaking nose score over 1 1/8-miles on good ground at Keeneland this April.
Munnyfor Ro launched her career last October at Woodbine, finishing eighth in a six-furlong sprint over the E.P. Taylor.
“We're obviously excited to see her back on turf, she had run so well over that footing during the winter and prior to coming back to Woodbine,” said Attard. “She seems like she's matured from a physical standpoint since the Queens Plate. I've been satisfied with the way she's trained heading into the Wonder Where and I'm expecting her to run very well.”
Il Malocchio is another consistent contender, sporting a record of 2-3-2 from 10 starts for trainer Martin Drexler and owner Franco Meli.
The daughter of Souper Speedy arrives at the Wonder Where in top form, punctuated by her impressive victory in the Bison City.
This will be the seventh overall stakes appearance and fourth straight added-money engagement for Il Malocchio, who broke her maiden on the Toronto oval's Inner Turf last September, courtesy of a 2 ¾-length triumph in the Victorian Queen Stakes.
One race prior, she finished second in a seven-furlong race over the E.P. Taylor.
Other familiar faces from the first two jewels of the Triple Tiara include Cielo d'Oro, third in the Bison City, Miss Marie, sixth and fifth respectively in the Oaks and Bison City, and Youens, fourth in the Oaks and sixth in the Bison City.
Bequia, also trained by Attard, Pemberley, and Tranquil Sky are newcomers to the series.
The race is named in honour of the champion filly Wonder Where, Canada's 1959 Horse of the Year and Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame inductee.
Sealy Hill, Canada's Horse of the Year in 2007, took all three Triple Tiara races in that same year.
First post on the 11-race card is 1:10 p.m. The Wonder Where goes as the ninth race. On Sunday, Queen's Plate champ Safe Conduct returns to Woodbine to contest the $400,000 Breeders' Stakes, final jewel in the OLG Canadian Triple Crown.
Fans can watch and wager on all the action via HPIbet.com and the Dark Horse Bets app.
FIELD FOR THE $250,000 WONDER WHERE STAKES
Post – Horse – Jockey – Trainer
1 – Tranquil Sky – Tony Maragh – Steve Owens
2 – Miss Marie – Shaun Bridgmohan – Breeda Hayes
3 – Munnyfor Ro – Justin Stein – Kevin Attard
4 – Il Malocchio – Patrick Husbands – Martin Drexler
5 – Bequia – Kazushi Kimura – Kevin Attard
6 – Youens – Jeffrey Alderson – Angus Buntain
7 – Cielo d'Oro – Antonio Gallardo – Catherine Day Phillips
8 – Pemberley – Daisuke Fukumoto – Mike Mattine
9 – Emmeline – Emma-Jayne Wilson – John Mattine
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