Curlin's Voyage Sets Course from Strong Princess Elizabeth Showing

Curlin’s Voyage, a two-year-old daughter of Curlin, goes after her second straight added-money title and third consecutive win when she contests the $225,000 Princess Elizabeth Stakes, one of two ($100,000 Overskate) features on Saturday’s 10-race card at Woodbine.

Seven starters will go postward in the Princess Elizabeth, a 1 1/16-mile main track race for Canadian-bred two-year-old fillies.

Trained by Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame inductee Josie Carroll (who will also send out Avie’s Samurai and She’s a Dream), Curlin’s Voyage finished second in the Grade 3 Mazarine Stakes on October 5, but was elevated to first after the winner was disqualified.

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“I think this filly is still very immature,” said Carroll after the Mazarine. “She’s still figuring out how to run, as you saw down the lane when that horse sort of came in front of her and it took her a long time to get her momentum back. She’s still figuring it all out.”

Leading rider Eurico Rosa da Silva, aboard the chestnut for all four of her lifetime starts, is looking forward to seeing the filly get her second straight shot at the 1 1/16-mile distance.

The multiple graded stakes winning jockey and six-time Sovereign Award recipient as Canada’s champion rider became a big fan of Curlin’s Voyage the first time he worked her.

“She’s a very talented filly,” said da Silva, who will partner Sam-Son Farm’s Ricoh Woodbine Mile champion El Tormenta in the upcoming Breeders’ Cup TVG Mile. “And she loves the distance. She’s just a very easy horse to ride. There’s just nothing difficult about her. She has everything you want in a horse.”

Debuting on July 7 over five-and-a-half furlongs on the Woodbine Tapeta, Curlin’s Voyage, owned by Hill ‘n’ Dale Equine Holdings Inc., and Windsor Boys Racing, finished second to Mr Hustle in the main track sprint.

Three weeks later, in the Shady Well Stakes – also a five-and-a-half furlong main track race – she rallied gamely to finish third, one-length back of winner Owlette.

The third time proved to be the charm for Curlin’s Voyage, who broke her maiden courtesy of a 4 ¾-length romp at one mile and 70 yards over the Toronto oval Tapeta on September 8.

On Saturday, the Hill ‘n’ Dale-bred miss will look to give her connections another stakes title, in the 74^th running of the Princess Elizabeth.

“She’s definitely getting better and better,” praised da Silva, who holds a 10-win advantage (130-120) over Rafael Hernandez in the Woodbine jockey standings after a six-win day on Sunday. “I’m lucky to be the one that gets to ride her. I remember the first time I worked her I was very impressed.”

In 2010, da Silva, who has 245 career stakes triumphs, teamed with Grand Style to win the Princess Elizabeth.

Chiefswood Stable won the 2012 (Nipissing), 2016 (Ghostly Presence) and 2018 (Bold Script) editions of the Princess Elizabeth. Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame and National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame inductee Dancethruthedawn won the race in 2000.

The Overskate, won last year by Thor’s Rocket, has drawn five hopefuls. Jockey Justin Stein won three consecutive runnings of the race: Gypsy Ring in 2011, Bear’s Peak in 2012, and Phil’s Dream in 2013. Da Silva has three (2014, Paso Doble; 2015, Goodoldhockeygame; 2017, Pink Lloyd) Overskate crowns.

The Princess Elizabeth is slated as race eight on Saturday’s 10-race card. The Overskate goes as race three. Please note that first post time is 12:45 p.m. Fans can also watch and wager on all the action via HPIbet.com.