Hopes and dreams. A chance at a big purse.
Canadian-bred three-year-old fillies filled the entry box on Thursday for Sunday’s 68th Woodbine Oaks (presented by Budweiser). For $500,000, with $300,000 to the winner, it’s not a surprise that there are all sorts of horses in the field and this year, there is not standout in the division currently – no Moiras or Lexie Lous.
Fourteen have been entered with probable favourite TICKER TAPE HOME drawing post 11 with Patrick Husbands riding for Live Oak Plantation and trainer Mark Casse. CHARLOTTE WEBER’S Live Oak has cut a swath through the stakes races at Woodbine already this year and Ticker Tape Home won the Fury Stakes at 7 furlongs with an 85 Beyer Speed Figure.
That 85 is the highest number earned by any filly from their last race, but Ticker Tape Home has yet to do well in a route race. The Oaks is 1 1/8 miles on Tapeta. Casse will also saddle Gary Barber and Team Valor’s ELYSIAN FIELD, second in the Fury, with Sahin Civaci riding, and ME AND MY SHADOW, who is stranded out in post 14 for D J Stable. Me and My Shadow will have blinkers on and Emma-Jayne Wilson has elected to ride.
Trainer KEVIN ATTARD has saddled the last two Oaks winners – Moira and Munny for Ro – and he is back with debut winner DELPHIA for X-Men-2 Racing and SF Racing LLC, FASHIONABLY FAB, for Terra Racing, WICKENHEISER for Al and Bill Ulwelling and Clay Scherer and COURTYLY RO for Raroma Stable.
Wickenheiser would have a good chance if all the speed in the Oaks field materializes. This late-running daughter of Lemon Drop Kid has had a start-and-stop 2023 so far, but her second-place finish in an optional claiming race against older males in her opener was solid. Leading rider Kazushi Kimura is back from concussion protocol to ride.
The most intriguing filly in the field is BIG BRASS BED, owned by a longtime leading owner in the US, Peter Brant, and trained by Chad Brown. One of three horses bred by Anderson Farms Ontario, Inc. in the field, Big Brass Bed won second time out at 1 1/16 miles on turf at Monmouth and had a troubled run in her latest on the Belmont turf.
TITO’S CALLING is a major contender and Luis Contreras is back to ride after Emma-Jayne Wilson rode this gal to a third-place finish in the Grade 3 Selene Stakes. A route winner last year and sprint winner this year, Tito’s Calling goes for the same connections as 2016 Oaks third-place finisher Caren, who was owned by Robert Marzilli, trained by Mike DePaulo and by the stallion Society’s Chairman.
FLYSOFREEASHLEEB, who drew post one, is a maiden who will love the longer distance. FRIENDS FOR LIFE was third in her season opener behind FORTYFIVESEVENTY, a long-backed filly who has won at a route distance. GREAT KATE won her maiden in her season debut; COLLECT DATT was claimed from her win for $40,000 in a sprint last time.
68th WOODBINE OAKS, race 10 July 23/Woodbine
Post Horse Sire Jockey Notes
1 FLYSOFREEASHLEEB (Midnight Lute) Jose Campos – filly is a maiden but a long-striding, closing type for Colebrook Farms.
2. BIG BRASS BED (Nyquist) Manny Franco – Peter Brant owns this gal named for a famous line in a Bob Dylan song. Chad Brown trains. Filly won a route race on turf and recently had a bad trip in a long turf race.
3 ELYSIAN FIELD (Hard Spun) Sahin Civaci– Second to Ticker Tape in the Fury Stakes and maiden winner in April. Big filly is well bred for the distance.
4. GREAT KATE (Souper Speedy) Rico Walcott – Won her season debut in a maiden race at 1 1/16 miles with 61 Beyer Speed Figure.
5. DELPHIA (Mucho Macho Man) David Moran – strong debut win at 1 1/16 miles for X Men Racing -2/SF Bloodstock. One of four for Kevin Attard. “She had a very good workout [July 12].”
6. FRIENDS FOR LIFE (Silent Name (Jpn) Eswan Flores – Daughter of Woodbine Oaks winner Ginger Brew; won a maiden sprint first time out in August 2022, third to Fortyfiveseventy in 2023 opener at seven furlongs.
7. FASHIONABLY FAB (Silent Name (Jpn)) Rafael Hernandez– Another Kevin trainee; Fast filly “had a super workout” July 6, 114.60 for 6 furlongs – then came back and sizzled 5 furlongs in 59.40 yesterday. Three straight sprint wins last year including Shady Well but a total guess at 1 1/8 miles.
8. FORTYFIVESEVENTY (Perfect Timber) Ryan Munger – owned and trained by Barbara Minshall, ‘the longer the better’ said the trainer. Filly was 4th in Grade 3 Selene Stakes, just over 4 lengths behind Tito’s Calling.
9. TITO’S CALLING (Society’s Chairman) Luis Contreras – Third in Grade 3 Selene Stakes behind two US-breds, 4th in Fury Stakes and a winner on May 5. Mike DePaulo/Ross Armata Jr. trainee had a big workout on July 16 in 47.20 for half a mile.
10. WICKENHEISER (Lemon Drop Kid) Kazushi Kimura – Kevin Attard trainee has had a start-and-stop year for training. Was a good second behind the colt Simcoe in 2023 opener. “Very talented filly who has yet to move forward. A few setbacks this year but I was pleased with her first start.”
11. TICKER TAPE HOME (Medaglia D’Oro) Patrick Husbands – $625,000 purchase from Sam-Son farms, she won the Fury Stakes at 7 furlongs on the lead all the way. Three previous route race attempts came on grass and dirt, not great results but dam was a route stakes winner on turf.
12. COLLECT DATT (Collected) Skye Chernetz – Recent claim by Bruno Schickedanz and trainer Martin Hinckson won a $40,000 claiming race at 6 furlongs on July 2. 71 Beyer Figure.
13. COURTLY RO (Cairo Prince) Daisuke Fukumoto – Ninth in Fury Stakes and unplaced in a recent grass race. “Her Princess Elizabeth race [fifth beaten four lengths] wasn’t too bad.”
14. ME AND MY SHADOW (Violence) Emma Jayne Wilson – Mark Casse trainee was third in the Fury Stakes and last year was second in the Princess Elizabeth.
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