In this Saturday’s $125,000 Shady Well Stakes, two-year-old filly Maritime Breeze will attempt to follow in the hoofprints of her mother Maritime Passion, who won the 2009 edition at Woodbine for owner/breeder Benjamin Hutzel and trainer Micheal De Paulo.
The homebred More Than Ready filly is one of two maidens in the field of seven set to contest the 5-1/2-furlong sprint for Ontario-breds.
“The mother was a real good racehorse and she’s been a good broodmare for us and we’re excited about this filly,” said De Paulo, noting that Maritime Passion’s offspring include Passion for Action, a multiple graded stakes winner by Speightstown, and the stakes placed Pulpit son Maritime Pulpit. “We thought we would take a chance and run her in a stake even though she’s still a maiden. But we’re hoping for some black type and if everything goes right maybe we can win.”
Maritime Breeze got off to an unlucky start in her career debut on June 2 at Woodbine when she was bumped at the start and finished fourth, but heads into the Shady Well off an improved third-place effort on June 30.
“She’s been good about all her lessons,” said De Paulo, commenting on getting the filly to the races. “Unfortunately, her first start she didn’t break that well and it kind of cost her, but her next race was a real good race – she got beat a couple of necks – and she’s trained well leading up to this stake so we’re hoping for a good result.”
De Paulo also won the 2015 edition of the Shady Well, which was the first of many stakes wins in the career of future Horse of the Year Caren.
With Luis Contreras picking up the mount, Maritime Breeze will leave outside of her six rivals, including a pair of well-bred fillies trained by Mark Casse.
Closely related to the Casse-trained champion filly Lexie Lou, Gary Barber’s Sailing By enters the Shady Well Stakes off a June 30 victory at Woodbine after finishing a game third in her debut ahead of Maritime Breeze. Bred by Dr. B. Van Arem, the Sligo Bay-Relocate filly was a $33,272 acquisition from the Canadian Thoroughbred Horse Society’s yearling sale.
Bred by William D. Graham, Syllable was purchased for $275,000 as a yearling at the Fasig-Tipton New York Saratoga Sale by Fox Hill Farm. The Super Saver-Intentional Cry filly is a half-sister this year’s Plate Trial Stakes winner Telekinesis, also trained by Casse. A runner-up in her first start on May 20 at Woodbine, Syllable broke her maiden on June 16 while defeating Stifling, who was promoted to winner in the My Dear Stakes next time out.
Also bred by Graham, Tiz Breathtaking won at first asking on June 10 for trainer Michael Doyle and owner Windhaven Farms then inherited second-place in the My Dear Stakes after suffering interference in the stretch, resulting in the disqualification of first-place finisher My Gal Betty. The Tiznow-I’m Breathtaking filly is a half-sibling to 2013 Cup and Saucer Stakes winner Matador.
Sav is a Shady Well contender for trainer Keith Edwards and owner Steve Duffield. She led by 6-1/2 lengths when she broke her maiden on June 3 then gave way to finish fifth in the My Dear Stakes. The Big Screen-Executive Affair filly is a half-sister to Cooler Mike, who recently hit the board in the first two legs of the OLG Canadian Triple Crown.
The field also includes homebreds Moksgmol and Appella. Jecara Farms’ Moksgmol (Cold Harbor-Karakorum Cheyenne) won her July 8 debut by a nose for trainer Carlos Grant while Gustav Schickedanz’s maiden filly Appella (Silent Name-Thats Our Princess) was a runner-up in her debut on the turf in mid-July for trainer Michael Keogh.
Here is a look at the field in post position order for the $125,000 Shady Well Stakes, which is scheduled as the seventh of 10 races on Saturday’s 1 p.m. program.
$125,000 Shady Well Stakes
Post – Horse – Jockey – Trainer
1. Sailing By – Patrick Husbands – Mark Casse
2. Moksgmol – Sheena Ryan – Carlos Grant
3. Appella – David Moran – Michael Keogh
4. Syllable – Gary Boulanger – Mark Casse
5. Tiz Breathtaking – Eurico Rosa Da Silva – Michael Doyle
6. Sav – Christopher Husbands – Keith Edwards
7. Maritime Breeze – Luis Contreras – Michael De Paulo
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