The Woodbine Oaks is just four weeks away and just one ‘prep’ race remains, and that is the Grade 3 Selene Stakes on June 28, an open race.
Oaks eligibles who are nominated to the Selene and could compete include ARISTELLA, the Princess Elizabeth Stakes winner from last year who has two decent sprint runs in 2025, NO TIME, a front-running winner at 1 1/16 miles on June 1, ELLA IT IS, also a winner at a route distance on June 1, and maiden winners REVELERS ROW and STREET PRINCESS, the latter two who are entered in a nine-furlong allowance race at Woodbine on Sunday.
The top Oaks contenders, according to Canadian Thoroughbred, begin with LOVE AND POETRY, a stakes-placed Hard Spun filly from Grace and Dignity, trained by successful US conditioner CHERIE DEVAUX for a number of partners.
Love and Poetry, bred by David Anderson and All My Hart, was a $300,000 yearling purchase and she has a win, second in the La Combe Memorial and third in an allowance race in her last three starts. She had trouble in her latest, May 8, and has only raced on grass.
SHIFTY, who had a perplexing run in the Fury Stakes, remains a contender for the Oaks.
Saturday’s 9th race at Woodbine has a number of Ontario-bred fillies who could pop up in the Oaks entries with a win in the main race. This would include WORKOUT AFFAIR, BELLA CLASSICA and R CANADIAN APPLE.
In KING’S PLATE NEWS, rivals ASHLEY’S ARCHER and SCORCHING are both ramping up workouts in the mornings at Woodbine. The latter has been playing catch-up since late last year when he got sick. He worked 5 furlongs with maiden winner Watsonville Red last weekend in 59.40.
There is a small chance he could make the Plate field.
TOM’S MAGIC continues to have bad luck finding a race; he was entered in stakes events at Penn National and Saratoga, but both came off grass. He was then entered in the Tale of the Cat Stakes this weekend, but the race did not go.
First-time starter MONTERREY is set to make his career debut on Saturday for trainer Brad Cox at Churchill Downs in a one mile dirt race. The son of Nyquist was a $325,000 two-year-old in training purchase by Qatar Racing and Marc Datempel. There is a good chance to the colt could head north with a good effort in his debut.
MYTHICAL MAN, based in New York with Danny Gargan, is expected to head to Ontario also.
Plate supplement COPPER GHOST is in a maiden race on Sunday at Woodbine.
And any filly winning the Oaks or performing well would certainly be considered a Plate contender.
CT’s Leading King’s Plate and Woodbine Oaks Contenders
1. Notorious Gangster – Trained by Josie Carroll, won Coronation Futurity, fast-closing second in Woodstock, won Queenston, 80 Beyer
2. Mansetti – Trained by Kevin Attard, won the Woodstock Stakes, trouble in Queenston
3. Tom’s Magic – Trained by Mike Stidham, won Fair Grounds stakes race, troubled in Transylvania Stakes last start, seeking a raced
4. Scorching – Trained by John Charalambous, won Cup and Saucer, back to working, up to half a mile
5. Ashley’s Archer – Trained by Mark Casse, second in Tampa Bay allowance in ’25 debut,.recently returned to worktab
6. Faber – Trained by Kevin Attard/William Morey, 2nd Turfway, 74 Beyer, solid second in 2 turn return
7. Love and Poetry (f)– trained by Cherie Deveaux, 2nd LaCombe Memorial on turf, FG
8. Shifty (f) – Catch a Glimpse S., 3rd Grade 3 Grey, strong sprint win in seasonal bow in Fury S.; 3rd in Fury
9. Mythical Man – Reeves Racing, Danny Gargan trainee showed promise at two, working at Saratoga
10. No Time (f) – Posted a 79 Beyer Figure winning an allowance race at Woodbine
11. Copper Ghost – 2nd maiden race, 1 1/16 miles to an older horse; races this weekend
12. Dewolf – Trained by Kevin Attard, stakes winner at two, second in Coronation, flopped in Queenston
13. Aristella (f)– Fourth Fury, trained by Rachel Halden
14. Monterrey – Unraced, Brad Cox working this colt at Indianapolis; races June 2113.
15. Souper Tuscan – In Florida, 2nd to Mansetti in debut, C2 Thoroughbreds new co-owners; fringe player last weekend
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