Two graded stakes races at Woodbine on Saturday, November 12 bring together fillies and mares in two Tapeta surfaces events at two different distances. The older female division in Ontario has had several different stakes winners and one, LADY SPEIGHTSPEARE, who has won graded stakes races on Tapeta and on turf, leads the division based on her third-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf (GI) at Keeneland last weekend.
The Grade 3 Maple Leaf at 1 1/4 miles is one of the oldest stakes races on the Woodbine calendar and will be run for the 127th time as race 7. The Grade 2 Bessarabian is a 7 furlong sprint for 3-year-olds and upward, fillies and mares, and will run as race 8.
The Maple Leaf is worth $150,000 and has lured an interesting field of 11 headed by Champion 3-year-old filly of 2021, MUNNYFOR RO. A triple stakes winner last year for Raroma Stables, Inc. and trainer Kevin Attard, Munnyfor Ro won the Woodbine Oaks, Wonder Where Stakes and Ontario Damsel Stakes all against 3-year-olds.
This year has been tougher for Munnyfor Ro, who is winless in four starts including three on the grass. She was, however, third in the Belle Mahone on the Tapeta and third in the Grade 2 Dance Smartly Stakes on turf.
The 4-year-old Munnings filly should enjoy getting back to a route race on Tapeta. Her competition include shippers CHARGES DROPPED, sent northward by trainer Michael McCarthy, CREATIVE CAIRO from the Christophe Clement barn and TRANSIENT (GB), who is trained by Saffie Joseph, Jr.
The latter, a daughter of Sea the Stars (Ire), has Jose Ortiz named to ride and Ortiz is also named to ride Joseph trainee Artie’s Princess in the Bessarabian.
Transient comes off an allowance win at 1 3/8 miles on turf at Aqueduct. Charges Dropped recently won a mile and 70 yard optional claiming race at Presque Isle on Tapeta with Kazushi Kimura riding.
Keith Johns’ HAZELBROOK, a four-time winner this year, three of them stakes races, has been one of the fun stories of 2022 at Woodbine. Trained by Lorne Richards, who operates a small stable, Hazelbrook gets her toughest test of the year in the Bessarabian which is at a distance she has as yet to win. Hazelbrook’s lone loss this year was when she was edged by Lady Speightspeare in the Grade 3 Seaway at 7 furlongs but a win in the Bessarabian will boost her claim as the country’s top female sprinter.
ARTIE’S PRINCESS, the Champion female Sprinter in 2020 when she won the Bessarabian Stakes, comes off a track-record-setting win in the Presque Isle Master (G2) on Sept. 19. Usually a front-running mare, Artie’s Princess came from almost last in the 6 1/2 furlong race to win by 1 1/2 lengths in 1:14.57.
OUR FLASH DRIVE is a formidable runner in the Bessarabian for trainer Mark Casse. The 4-year-old by Ghostzapper was just caught in the Grade 3 Ontario Matron Stakes at 1 1/16 miles on Oct. 23 and she is one-for-one at the 7 furlong distance.
FIELD FOR THE GRADE 3 MAPLE LEAF
Post – Horse – Jockey – Trainer
1 – Crystal Glacier (S) – Eswan Flores – Mark Casse
2 – Owen’s Tour Guide (S) – Leo Salles – William Armata
3 – Charges Dropped – Kazushi Kimura – Michael McCarthy
4 – Il Malocchio – Sahin Civaci – Martin Drexler
5 – Dreidel – Declan Carroll – Josie Carroll
6 – Munnyfor Ro – Justin Stein – Kevin Attard
7 – Angelou – Luis Contreras – Kevin Attard
8 – Peace Seeker – Slade Jones – Nick Nosowenko
9 – Creative Cairo – Rafael Hernandez – Christophe Clement
10 – Silent Causeway – Patrick Husbands – Laura Krasauskaite
11 – Transient (GB) – Jose Ortiz – Saffie Joseph, Jr.
FIELD FOR THE GRADE 2 BESSARABIAN
Post – Horse – Jockey – Trainer
1 – Artie’s Princess – Jose Ortiz – Saffie Joseph, Jr.
2 – Sweet Enough (GB) – Emma-Jayne Wilson – Roger Attfield
3 – Hazelbrook – Jason Hoyte – Lorne Richards
4 – Lorena – Rafael Hernandez – Stuart Simon
5 – Beyond Mybudget – Declan Carroll – Mark Casse
6 – Our Flash Drive – Patrick Husbands – Mark Casse
7 – Awesome Treat (S) – Jose Campos – Steve Attard
8 – Loyalty – Luis Contreras – Josie Carroll
9 – Allworthy – Kazushi Kimura – Saffie Joseph, Jr.
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