Competitive Field of 10 in Woodbine Oaks

A pair of undefeated fillies lead the way in a 10-horse, wide-open renewal of the Woodbine Oaks Sunday. Brent and Russell McLellan and Gerry Olguin's Lorena (Souper Speedy) is three-for-three and was most recently a front-running 3/4-length winner of the seven-furlong Fury S. July 10. The dark bay filly, 2-1 on the morning line, will be trying a route for the first time in Sunday's nine-furlong Oaks.

“She's just done everything so well,” trainer Stuart Simon said of the filly. “She keeps taking steps forward. I'm not concerned about the distance. I'm a little concerned about running back in three weeks. It's a cramped schedule, but there's also only one chance to win the Oaks.”

Also three-for-three is Kevin Drew's Jilli Marie (Dynamic Sky), who won the South Ocean S. at Woodbine last November. She just got her nose in front on the wire while making her return in a 6 1/2-furlong optional claimer last time out July 2. The bay filly is 8-1 on the morning line.

“She's a really gritty filly,” said trainer Katerina Vassilieva. “She has a lot of heart. She's such a small horse in stature, but she has a ton of heart. She tries so hard in all of her races. She's fearless, she's patient–she has all the right qualities of a really good racehorse.”

Breeze Easy's Curlin's Catch (Curlin), a 3-1 shot on the morning line, was a late-closing third in the Fury S. and would seem to be ideally suited to the Oaks' nine-furlong distance. The bay filly won the Suncoast S. at Tampa Bay Downs in February before fifth-place efforts against top company south of the border in the Feb. 27 GII Davona Dale S. and Apr. 3 GI Ashland S.

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Wide-Open Woodbine Oaks Highlights Stakes-Laden Sunday Card At Woodbine

Lorena and Jilli Marie will put their respective unbeaten records on the line in the $500,000 Woodbine Oaks presented by Budweiser, one of four stakes on Sunday's 11-race card at Woodbine.

Inaugurated in 1956, the filly classic, which has attracted 10 Canadian-foaled three-year-old fillies carrying 121 pounds over one mile and one-eighth on the Tapeta, will go postward as race eight at approximately 4:46 p.m. ET. The winning connections will receive $300,000.

Sunday's card also features the $150,000 Plate Trial Stakes, a key race ahead of the Queen's Plate (August 22), the Grade 2 $175,000 Royal North Stakes, and Grade 3 $150,000 Vigil Stakes.

Lorena, a daughter of Souper Speedy-Negotiable, will look to keep her winning ways intact in the Oaks. Trained by Stuart Simon, who co-owns with Brent and Russell McLellan, and former jockey Gerry Olguin, the dark bay is three-for-three in her career, including a front-running score in the Fury Stakes on July 10 at Woodbine.

“Overall, it was her physical makeup and the female family she was out of,” said Simon, as to what caught his attention at the 2019 CTHS Yearling Sale. “Souper Speedy seems to be doing very well, but I always look at the female family first. If I like that, I proceed on from there. She's got a graded stakes winner in her second dam [Blushing Heiress], who won at Santa Anita at a time when the racing was really tough.”

Bred by Dr. Liam Gannon, Lorena made her debut last November at Woodbine in a 5 ½- furlong main track event.

Leaving the gate as the 5-1 second choice in the field of 12, Lorena, under Rafael Hernandez, was 3 ½-lengths in front at the stretch call, and went on to record an easy 7 ½-length victory in 1:04.26.

“She indicated she could be good first-time out,” recalled Olguin, who gallops the horse. “You had the sense from the mornings works. She was always very calm and when she ran that first race, she ran very impressively.”

On June 19 in a 6 ½-furlong trip over the Toronto oval main track, Lorena converted a head advantage at the stretch call into a three-length score in a time of 1:15-flat.

In the Fury, Lorena led the field of Canadian-bred fillies through a quarter in :23.57 and half-mile :46.82, and held her challengers at bay to win the seven-furlong sprint in 1:23.94 with Gary Boulanger in the irons.

“She's just done everything so well,” praised Simon. “She keeps taking steps forward. I'm not concerned about the distance. I'm a little concerned about running back in three weeks. It's a cramped schedule, but there's also only one chance to win the Oaks.”

Boulanger, inducted into the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame in 2020, will look to win his second Oaks, 20 years after guiding Sam-Son star Dancethruthedawn to victory in both the Oaks and Queen's Plate.

“Gary said how gutsy she was and that she'll do anything you want her to do,” said Simon, of their conversation after the Fury win. “She's a true professional. We always liked the way she was training last year. As she progressed last fall, she just kept going forward.”

Lorena's groom, Susie Crawford, has high praise for the filly she refers to as “Lovely Lady.”

“Right from the get-go, she grasped on to everything,” said Crawford. “You didn't have to asked her twice to learn something. She's just so smart. She loves her mints and apples, and she loves to nap all the time. She's calm and classy. She loves what she does. She's a very sweet-natured horse.”

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Jilli Marie will also endeavor to keep her win streak intact.

Owner Kevin Drew of Chatham (Ontario) purchased the filly from the first crop of millionaire Dynamic Sky at the 2019 Canadian Premier Yearling Sale for $15,000 from his neighbour Brian Wright. The bay was Drew's first Thoroughbred purchase.

Trained by Katerina Vassilieva, Jilli Marie brings a three-for-three record – including a stakes crown – into the Oaks. Last November, under jockey Steven Bahen, she took the South Ocean, winning by 1 ½-lengths in the 6 ½-furlong test over the Woodbine main track.

“She's a really gritty filly,” said Vassilieva. “She has a lot of heart. She's such a small horse in stature, but she has a ton of heart. She tries so hard in all of her races. She's fearless, she's patient – she has all the right qualities of a really good racehorse.”

Jilli Marie won her three-year-old debut on July 2 at Woodbine, besting 10 rivals over 6 furlongs on the Toronto oval Tapeta.

Vassilieva gives out high marks for her sophomore charge.

“I love the way she sits off and relaxes in her races. She listens to the jockey really well and she's able to relax. It's not ideal that we go from a sprint to a mile and eighth. I would have loved to have a two-turn race in between, but we ran out of time because of COVID and how the schedule worked out. The way she's run her sprints, relaxing and sitting off the pace, and running on when called on, I think she might be able to get the distance. She's a filly that has always had that competitive spirit.”

Vassilieva sees the diminutive Jilli Marie as the prototypical dark horse.

“It is an underdog story in a way. She was an orphaned foal. She lost her mom early on in her life. It's a story of tenacity, determination and grit. She's a very happy horse and always has her ears pricked. She gets excited when people bring her treats. She loves attention. I can always feel her eyes on me when I'm walking around the barn doing other things. She's always looking at me as though to say, 'Okay, when you are going to come over and see me?'”

Joel Garcia, Jilli Marie's groom, shares a close bond with the filly.

“She's professional every single day,” said Garcia. “She's always very calm in the stall and she knows when she's going out. She's great at all times and she always gives her best on the track. She's tiny, but she is brave. She isn't scared of anything.”

Owned by Breeze Easy, LLC, Curlin's Catch, a bay daughter of Curlin, brings a record of 2-1-1 from seven starts into the Oaks. Trained by Mark Casse, the filly, bred by Sam-Son, won the Suncoast Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs this February. Casse is chasing his fourth Oaks win, having taken the 2006 edition with Kimchi, the 2007 running with Sealy Hill, and the 2014 edition with Lexie Lou. Both Sealy Hill and Lexie Lou went on to take Canadian Horse of the Year honours.

Emmeline, bred by the late Bill Graham, has two runner-up efforts in as many starts in 2021. Overall, the daughter of Violence has assembled a 0-2-1 mark from five starts for trainer Mike Mattine and owners RCC Racing Stable Ltd., and Realm Racing Stables.

Owned by JDLP Holdings, Inc., Erasmo's Girl heads into the Oaks off a maiden-breaking effort on June 24. Trained by Steven Chircop, the daughter of English Channel, bred by Terry Brooker and Richard Lister, was Hip No. 1175 at the 2019 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Yearling Sale.

Bred and owned by Franco Meli, Il Malocchio won last year's Victorian Stakes at Woodbine and was second in the Princess Elizabeth on October 31. This year, the daughter of Souper Speedy is 1-3-1 in eight appearances.

Lady Moonshine has a pair of bronze efforts in two career starts for owner Bet Two Seven Stables and trainer Mark Casse. A dark bay daughter of multiple graded stakes champ Milwaukee Brew, Lady Moonshine will make her stakes debut in the Oaks.

Trained by Breeda Hayes for owner-breeder Garland Williamson (Hillsbrook Farms), Miss Marie, a daughter of Carpe Diem, shrugged off a ninth-place debut and won her next start on July 10.

Munnyfor Ro, owned by Raroma Stable, arrives at the Oaks off a second-place finish in the Grade 3 Selene Stakes on July 10. Trained by Kevin Attard, the chestnut daughter of Munnings is 1-2-2 from eight lifetime starts.

Youens, a bay daughter of American Pharoah, bred by Sam-Son Farm, has three thirds from six starts to date. Owned by Jerry Jamgotchian, and trained by Eric Reed, the bay will be making her Woodbine debut in the Oaks.

The Woodbine Oaks is the first leg of the Canadian Triple Tiara, which continues at the Toronto oval with the 1 1/16-mile Bison City Stakes on August 28 and concludes with the Wonder Where Stakes over 1 ½-miles on the E.P. Taylor Turf Course on October 2.

First race post time for Sunday's stakes-filled program is 1:10 p.m. Fans can watch and wager on all the action via HPIbet.com.

$500,000 WOODBINE OAKS PRESENTED BY BUDWEISER

Post – Horse – Jockey – Trainer

1 – Curlin's Catch – Rafael Hernandez – Mark Casse

2 – Jilli Marie – Steven Bahen – Katerina Vassilieva

3 – Miss Marie – David Moran – Breeda Hayes

4 – Lorena – Gary Boulanger – Stuart Simon

5 – Youens – Jeffrey Alderson – Angus Buntain

6 – Emmeline – Emma-Jayne Wilson – John Mattine

7 – Erasmo's Girl – Ademar Santos – Steven Chircop

8 – Lady Moonshine – Kazushi Kimura – Mark Casse

9 – Il Malocchio – Patrick Husbands – Martin Drexler

10 – Munnyfor Ro – Justin Stein – Kevin Attard

$150,000 PLATE TRIAL STAKES (Race 3)

Post – Horse – Jockey – Trainer

1 – H C Holiday – Kazushi Kimura – Kevin Attard

2 – Derkii – Emma-Jayne Wilson – Carlos Grant

3 – Truffle King – Justin Stein – Kevin Attard

4 – Avoman – Antonio Gallardo – Don MacRae

$150,000 GRADE 3 VIGIL STAKES (Race 7)

Post – Horse – Jockey – Trainer

1 – Cash Dividend (S) – Kazushi Kimura – Denyse McClachrie

2 – Souper Stonehenge – Patrick Husbands – Mark Casse

3 – Pink Lloyd – Rafael Hernandez – Robert Tiller

4 – Green Light Go (S) – David Moran – Michael Doyle

5 – Not So Quiet – Luis Contreras – Mark Casse

6 – Embolden – Justin Stein – Michael De Paulo

$175,000 GRADE 2 ROYAL NORTH STAKES (Race 9)

Post – Horse – Jockey – Trainer

1 – Amalfi Coast – Justin Stein – Kevin Attard

2 – Jeanie B (GB) – Antonio Gallardo – Mark Casse

3 – Lady Grace – Kazushi Kimura – Mark Casse

4 – Change of Control – Patrick Husbands – Michelle Lovell

5 – Fairywren – Emma-Jayne Wilson – Josie Carroll

6 – Sister Peacock – Gary Boulanger – Stuart Simon

7 – Lead Guitar – Rafael Hernandez – George Weaver

8 – Jeannie's Beepbeep – Luis Contreras – Norm McKnight

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Sophomore Fillies In The Spotlight At Woodbine This Saturday

The $150,000 Grade 3 Selene Stakes and the $125,000 Fury Stakes share the spotlight this Saturday at Woodbine.

A key prep on the road to this year's Woodbine Oaks presented by Budweiser (August 1, at Woodbine), the 1 1/16-mile main track Selene, for 3-year-olds, has attracted a pair of Canadian-breds – Il Malocchio (cross-entered in the Fury) and Munnyfor Ro – who could contest the $500,000 Oaks.

Vying for top honors in the Selene is Kentucky-bred Gote Go, a 3-year-old daughter of Street Boss.

Trained by dual hall of fame inductee Roger Attfield, and bred and owned by William Harrigan, Gote Go will be making her first stakes appearance and fifth start at Woodbine.

“I'm excited,” said Harrigan. “She's running in her first graded stakes and I hope it won't be her last.”

The chestnut filly, who sports a mark of 2-1-0 from seven races, arrives at the Selene off an impressive two-length triumph in a 1 1/16-mile turf engagement at Churchill Downs on June 5.

Under Julien Leparoux, Gote Go rallied to take top spot in the $102,000 allowance event, just shy of one month after a fifth-place effort at the same distance.

“She got a great ride from Julien and we were very confident that she would run well and she did,” said Harrigan.

Gote Go debuted last August at Woodbine, finishing eighth in a six-furlong main track race. After a fifth on the Toronto oval's Inner Turf and a second to Sleek Lynx on the E.P. Taylor Turf Course, she broke her maiden courtesy of a half-length victory over 1 1/16 miles on the Tapeta.

“I've known her since she was a foal,” started Harrigan. “We put her through a yearling sale, the July Fasig-Tipton Sale, and I didn't get what I wanted, so we bought her back. I brought her down to Payson Park – I go there every winter with the 2-year-olds – and we had her in a 2-year-old sale. That was the year the 2-year-old sales were off because of COVID, so we took her out of the sale. I brought her back up here to Keeneland and trained her for a few weeks. I sent her to Roger. I told him, 'Roger, most horses that come out of those 2-year-olds sales need time off, but this one doesn't. Treat like she's yours and onward you go.'”

Harrigan hopes Saturday's effort is Gote Go's best one yet.

“She broke her maiden at Woodbine and then we gave her some time off. I told Roger we shouldn't worry about a horse that just won – let's have a good year next year. That's what we did. He brought her along and here we are today. We're glad to be in there with a chance and I'm excited to have a horse I bred in there, in Roger's hands.”

California Lily, Flash Drive, Sweet Souper Sweet, and Danger, are also set to go postward in the 68th running of the Selene.

Trainer Mark Casse has won a record six Selene crowns, including the past three editions. His first Selene score came in 2001 with Dark Ending.

The Selene is complemented by the Fury, a seven-furlong race over the Tapeta for three-year-old Canadian-bred fillies, also an important fixture ahead of the Oaks.

Lorena, a daughter of Souper Speedy, will look to make it three straight wins to start her career.

The dark bay, trained and co-owned by Stuart Simon, was impressive in her debut last November at Woodbine, and followed it up with a smart score on June 19 at the Toronto oval.

Brent and Russell McLellan, and former jockey Gerry Olguin are the other co-owners of Lorena.

Curlin's Catch, winner of this year's Suncoast Stakes, returns to Woodbine where she contested the first two races of her career. Bodacious Miss, boasting a mark of 1-0-0 from three starts, Owen's Tour Guide, two-for-two, Victorian Queen stakes champ Il Malocchio, El Bayern, last year's Muskoka Stakes winner, and Astrological, sixth in her debut, round out the field.

The Selene is race seven on Saturday's 11-race card. The Fury is slated for race nine. First post time is 1:20 p.m. Fans can also watch and wager on all the action via HPIbet.com. Sunday's card features a pair of important Queen's Plate preps, the $150,000 Grade 3 Marine Stakes and $125,000 Queenston Stakes.

FIELD FOR THE $150,000 GRADE 3 SELENE

POST – HORSE – JOCKEY – TRAINER

1 – Gote Go – Steven Bahen – Roger Attfield

2 – California Lily – Rafael Hernandez – Mark Casse

3 – Our Flash Drive – Patrick Husbands – Mark Casse

4 – Il Malocchio – Kazushi Kimura – Martin Drexler

5 – Sweet Souper Sweet – Luis Contreras – Michael Trombetta

6 – Danger – Emma-Jayne Wilson – Mark Casse

7 – Munnyfor Ro – Justin Stein – Kevin Attard

FIELD FOR THE $125,000 FURY

POST – HORSE – JOCKEY – TRAINER

1 – Bodacious Miss – Justin Stein – Steve Owens

2 – Owen's Tour Guide – Ademar Santos – William Armata

3 – Il Malocchio – Patrick Husbands – Martin Drexler

4 – Curlin's Catch – Rafael Hernandez – Mark Casse

5 – Lorena – Gary Boulager – Stuart Simon

6 – El Bayern – Sheena Ryan – Mike Mattine

7 – Astrological – Emma-Jayne Wilson – Mark Casse

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Curlin’s Voyage, Afleet Katherine Rematched In Woodbine’s Wonder Where

This year's edition of the Canadian Triple Tiara comes to a conclusion when 10 3-year-old Canadian-bred fillies take to the world-renowned E.P. Taylor Turf Course in Sunday's $250,000 Wonder Where Stakes, at Woodbine in Toronto, Ontario.

Set at the distance of about 1 1/4 miles, the Wonder Where drew sophomore stars Curlin's Voyage, winner of the Woodbine Oaks presented by Budweiser (first jewel in the series), and Afleet Katherine, who was runner-up in the Oaks and runner-up in the second jewel, the Bison City Stakes, on September 12.

A bay daughter of Afleet Alex, Afleet Katherine, trained by Kevin Attard, arrives at the Wonder Where off that silver effort in the Bison City, a 1 1/16-mile test over the Woodbine main track.

Sent off as the 4-5 choice, Afleet Katherine hopped leaving the gate before jockey Justin Stein settled her mid-pack in the eight-horse race. Hustled from the rail and sent two-wide into the final turn, she rallied gamely, but crossed the wire 4 3/4 lengths behind winner Mizzen Beau.

Bred and owned by Terra Racing Stable, the Ontario-bred will now make a return to the grass, the surface in which she contested her first two races.

Both efforts came over the E.P. Taylor Turf Course and both resulted in trips to the winner's circle.

Dismissed at 29-1 in her career bow on July 5, Afleet Katherine rallied impressively to win by a neck at seven furlongs over “firm” going. She followed it up 20 days later with another late burst to win by a head at the same distance and on the same ground.

“She got up in the nick of time both times,” said Attard, who is seeking his first Wonder Where crown. “She's shown she's a decent filly and we've been looking forward to this race for a while now.”

Which one of her wins stood out?

“I think the second race was the more impressive of the two because in that one she looked like she was backing up, going to be out of the picture, just kind of not fire. But she turned it around and won. First time out, I thought she was overlooked. She comes from a decent family and her half-sibling [Amalfi Coast, scheduled to run in Friday's Sweet Briar Too Stakes] had a great year last year. I thought that deserved a little respect, but it is what it is. She's just a big filly and has a little bit of attitude. She was a little immature and green to start, but she's come a long way and developed over time. You look at her record and it speaks for itself.”

The conditioner is also represented by Merveilleux.

A daughter of Paynter, owned by Al and Bill Ulwelling, Merveilleux has a record of 2-3-1 from nine starts. She was third in the Woodbine Oaks and sixth in the Queen's Plate.

“I will say she has had three rough trips in a row, and I love her,” said Al Ulwelling. “She looked very comfortable working on grass in her last work. We are going to have her more forwardly placed this race as we feel she will encounter less trouble. From that point on, it's up to her.”

Attard's stakes weekend kicks off on Saturday when Clayton goes postward in the $400,000 Breeders' Stakes, final jewel in the OLG Canadian Triple Crown.

The son of Bodemeister, third in the Queen's Plate and second in the Prince of Wales, will look to play spoiler in Mighty Heart's bid to become the first Crown winner since Wando in 2003.

“He's here in the third leg of the series now. I thought he ran a great race in the Prince of Wales and we're hoping he goes one better this time.”

In the Wonder Where, Afleet Katherine will once again face Curlin's Voyage, the chestnut daughter of Curlin who fashions a record of 5-2-1 from 10 starts.

A four-time stakes winner, the Josie Carroll trainee finished fifth to Mighty Heart (also trained by Carroll) in the Queen's Plate on September 12.

Owned by Hill 'n' Dale Equine Holdings and Windsor Boys Racing, Curlin's Voyage will be testing the turf for the first time under racing terms.

The filly breezed over the Woodbine turf on October 17, travelling five furlongs in 1:03 flat.

Ballrooms of Mars, Beyond Mybudget, Forty Zip, Gun Society, Justleaveitalone and Sansa's Vow and She's a Dream round out the Wonder Where field.

The race is named in honor of the champion filly Wonder Where, Canada's 1959 Horse of the Year and Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame inductee.

First post on the 11-race card is 1:10 p.m. The Wonder Where goes as race eight.

Fans can watch and wager on all the action via HPIbet.com.

FIELD FOR THE $250,000 WONDER WHERE STAKES
Post – Horse – Jockey – Trainer 

1 – She's a Dream – Luis Contreras – Josie Carroll
2 – Justleaveitalone – David Moran – Nicholas Gonzalez
3 – Gun Society – Kazushi Kimura – Roger Attfield
4 – Beyond Mybudget – Jerome Lermyte – Mark Casse
5 – Merveilleux – Rafael Hernandez – Kevin Attard
6 – Curlin's Voyage – Patrick Husbands – Josie Carroll
7 – Afleet Katherine – Justin Stein – Kevin Attard
8 – Ballrooms of Mars – Steven Bahen – Catherine Day Phillips
9 – Sansa's Vow – Daisuke Fukumoto – Josie Carroll
10 – Forty Zip – Emma-Jayne Wilson – Shug McGaughey

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