Dreaming of Drew, a two-year-old daughter of Speightster, chases her first added-money title in the $250,000 Princess Elizabeth Stakes, one of two ($100,000 Overskate) features on Saturday’s 11-race card at Woodbine.
Eight starters are slated to go postward in the 75th renewal of the Princess Elizabeth, a 1 1/16-mile main track race for Canadian-bred two-year-old fillies.
Trained by Barbara Minshall, who has 380 career victories, Dreaming of Drew arrives at Saturday’s engagement off a fourth-place finish in the Natalma Stakes (G1T) on September 20 at Woodbine.
“She’s training well,” said Minshall. “I’ll make a couple of little equipment changes on her. I know she likes the synthetic track here. I just hope she settles well for a two-turn race and I expect a pretty good effort from her.”
It was the second straight stakes appearance for the Hoolie Racing Stable chestnut who lost by a nose to Alda in the Catch a Glimpse Stakes (6 ½ furlongs on the turf) on August 23.
Bred by WinStar Farm, Dreaming of Drew launched her career on June 13 in a 4 ½-furlong test over the Toronto oval Tapeta. Sent off at 5-1, she put in a determined stretch run to finish second, 2 ½ lengths behind the winner.
Next time out, the Ontario-bred broke her maiden via a six-length romp as the 7-5 choice.
Minshall, Canada’s champion trainer in 1996, is confident her young star will be up for Saturday’s test.
“She is [still learning]. She’s a very big horse and she has a ton of ability. That goes without question. She just has to totally get it all together, but she’s a horse with a bright future. Hopefully, we can finish this season off with her having a nice race in the Princess Elizabeth, and then give her a nice break.”
Bred and owned by Yvonne Schwabe, Bequia, a dark bay daughter of Vancouver (AUS), will make her stakes debut on Saturday. Bodacious Miss goes after her second win in as many starts, Curlin’s Catch, a daughter of Curlin, finished second in her career bow, Dance With Destiny looks to improve off a sixth-place finish in her debut, El Bayern tries for her second straight added-money crown after winning the Muskoka Stakes on August 30, Emmeline, trained by John Mattine, will go for her first win in what is her third (stakes) start, and Victorian Queen Stakes champion Il Malocchio is set to go postward in her fourth career start.
Princess Elizabeth-winning fillies Nipissing (2012), Roan Inish (2009), Ginger Gold (2001), Dancethruthedawn (2000), Deputy Jane West (1992) and Par Excellence (1979) all went on to win the Woodbine Oaks the following year.
The Overskate Stakes has drawn 10 hopefuls. Set for 7 ½ furlongs on the Inner Turf, the Ontario Sired race for three-year-olds & up includes last year’s Overskate champion Dixie’s Gamble (6-1-0 from 12 starts), who will make his season’s debut on Saturday for trainer Josie Carroll, 2020 Vice Regent Stakes winner Not So Quiet (5-0-1 from 11 starts), multiple stakes winner Red Cabernet and (8-3-2 from 30 starts), and multiple stakes placed Royal Laser (5-4-5 from 26 starts).
The Princess Elizabeth is slated as race nine and the Overskate goes as race eight. First post time is 1:10 p.m. Fans can watch and wager on all the action via HPIbet.com.
$250,000 PRINCESS ELIZABETH STAKES
Post – Horse – Jockey – Trainer
1 – El Bayern – Sheena Ryan – Mike Mattine
2 – Dance With Destiny – Luis Contreras – Josie Carroll
3 – Il Malocchio – Sahin Civaci – Martin Drexler
4 – Dreaming of Drew – Patrick Husbands – Barbara Minshall
5 – Bequia – Emma-Jayne Wilson – Kevin Attard
6 – Curlin’s Catch – Rafael Hernandez – Mark Casse
7 – Bodacious Miss – Justin Stein – Steve Owens
8 – Emmeline – Kazushi Kimura – John Mattine
$100,000 OVERSKATE STAKES
Post – Horse – Jockey – Trainer
1 – Royal Laser – Justin Stein – Sid Attard
2 – Forester’s Turn – Kazushi Kimura – Robert Tiller
3 – Dun Drum – Emma-Jayne Wilson – Ian Black
4 – Dixie’s Gamble – Luis Contreras – Josie Carroll
5 – Royal Wedding – Simon Husbands – Nathan Squires
6 – Red Cabernet – Steven Bahen – Ian Black
7 – Not So Quiet – Rafael Hernandez – Mark Casse
8 – Eskiminzin – Davy Moran – Carlos Grant
9 – Silent Jimmie – Daisuke Fukumoto – Paul Buttigieg
10 – Thor’s Rocket – Sahin Civaci – Paul Buttigieg
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