There are only five weeks until the 69th Woodbine Oaks, the premier race for Canadian-bred three-year-old fillies worth a hefty $500,000. Not only is the Oaks a marquee race on the Woodbine stakes schedule, but it also can produce a contender for the big daddy of them all, the King’s Plate, which is on August 17 this year.
Both the Oaks and Plate pictures are still in the mish-mash stage, but Canadian Thoroughbred has been following along since late winter with a Plate contenders’ list. This post has a Woodbine Oaks list, the top 10 contenders, as of June 14.
The June 29 Selene Stakes (G3) may go a long way to identifying a strong Oaks contender as the race is open to US-breds also. The Selene is likely where INUDATION (Collected) will make her three-year-old debut for owners Al and Bill Ulwelling and trainer Kevin Attard. The chestnut filly, a late May foal, has been working along since late March with her most recent move coming on June 8, 5 furlongs in 1:01.80.
Inudation has been waiting in the wings since she won her maiden in the prestigious Princess Elizabeth Stakes in late November. Leo Salles timed the move just right to win that day ad the filly earned an 81 Beyer Speed Figure while edging stablemate War Painter, also an Oaks contender. Recent Princess Elizabeth winners who came back to win the Oaks include Moira, Nippissing, Roan Inish, Ginger Gold and Dancethruthedawn.
A stretch runner by Collected out of Tidal Surge by Bernardini, Inudation (the Ullwellings admit they misspelled Inundation when naming her) was a $67,000 yearling purchase at the 2022 Fasig-Tipton October sale. She was bred by Anderson Farms, which bred last year’s Oaks winner Elysian Field.
Two Canadian-bred fillies who are currently in the United States could be major players in the Oaks. DAZZLING MOVE, owned by Marc Tacher’s Sonata Stable, is headed north for trainer Michael Trombetta. Bred by Jesse Korona, the Not This Time filly is from Lady Liam by Saint Liam and she won her latest at Laurel on the dirt with an 83 Beyer Figure. She was previously fourth in the Honey Ryder Stakes at Gulfstream on the grass and a winner on the Gulfstream slop before that. She raced twice at Woodbine to begin her career last fall and was fourth and fifth.
BA DEE YAH, trained by Tom Amoss for Gold Standard Racing Stable, LLC of Bill Stone, Ron Radcliff and partners, won a stakes race at Fair Grounds this winter at 1 mile and 70 yards on the dirt with an 81 Beyer Figure. She was third in the Panthers Stakes at Prairie Meadows on June 8 when stalking a slow pace. The Uncle Mo – Pearl Turn by Bernardini filly was bred by Anderson Farms and was a $485,000 Fasig-Tipton October yearling just like her former foal playmate Inudation.
WAR PAINTER (Danish Dynaformer), owned by Canuck Racing Stable and trained by Attard, eked out a win in a 1 1/16 mile allowance/optional claiming event against older horses in her most recent race, earning a 74 Beyer Figure. Chiefswood Stables’ KIN’S CONCERTO was third in a seven furlong race against older horses on May 11. The Mendlessohn filly is trained by Josie Carroll.
The Mark Casse barn has STORMCAST eligible for the Oaks and this speedy filly by Mitole was second in the Honey Ryder Stakes on May 4 at Gulfstream on the grass.
Here is the latest Canadian Thoroughbred list of Oaks contenders (from list of nominees):
TOP 10 WOODBINE OAKS (pr. by Stella Artois) CONTENDERS
July 20 – 1 1/8 miles Tapeta
1. INUDATION
2. DAZZLING MOVE
3. WAR PAINTER
4. BA DEE YAH
5. KIN’S CONCERTO
6. STORMCAST
7. SHAMANS GIRL
8. MY GIRL DELLA
9. MORE MONEY HUNNY
10. LUNCH WITH BERNIE
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