The Fury Stakes and Queenston Stakes at Woodbine this weekend give an early leg-up to colts and fillies eyeing the Canadian classics in a couple of months. Both races are just 7 furlongs and around one turn but they act as starting points for some. Others are seeking a nice payday for a sprint outing.
The Canadian-bred three-year-old fillies are a strong group this year but the top Oaks contenders at this point aren’t in the Fury Stakes.
Princess Elizabeth Stakes winner INUDATION is no doubt awaiting a route race, WAR PAINTER won a route race Thursday night over older horses and US-based gals BA DEE YAH and DAZZLING MOVE will be headed to Woodbine if their plans continue to go well.
Trainer Tom Amoss said Ba Dee Yah, who completes in the Panthers Stakes at Prairie Meadows on Saturday, will be headed to Woodbine if she does well this weekend. Sonata Stables’ Marc Tacher said that his filly Dazzling Move, trained by Michael Trombetta, is headed to Woodbine after she won an allowance at Laurel at 1 mile with an 83 Beyer.
Also, MY GIRL DELLA just won a maiden race at 1 1/16 miles for owner John Fielding and her stablemate CAITLINHERGRTNESS is getting set to make her Canadian debut for Siena Farm and WinStar.
The Fury has eight fillies in the field and two stakes winners: SHAMANS GIRL and OLIVIA ROSE. The former won her debut in the Shady Well Stakes for Stronach Stables and trainer Harold Ladouceur but flopped in a stake at Laurel in February. The latter is a fast gal from the Mark Casse barn who won the South Ocean last year with a huge 88 Beyer Speed Figure. She faded in her season debut, however.
As far as possible Oaks contenders in the Fury, LUNCH WITH BERNIE, by Bernardini, recently finished third against older horses in an allowance race for Casse. MORE MONEY HUNNY, third in the Princess Elizabeth, gets her first run of the year for Josie Carroll and the Di Scola Boys Stable.
The Queenston Stakes has a load of the leading King’s Plate contenders including early favourite MY BOY PRINCE. This is the next logical race for Prince, owned by Gary Barber, as he won the King Corrie Stakes in his local return with a gaudy 97 Beyer. The champion two-year-old of last year won the 1 1/16 mile Cup & Saucer last year around one turn on turf and was third in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) at Santa Anita at one mile. As the distances get longer (Plate Trial is 1 1/8 miles, Plate is 1 1/4 miles), it remains to be seen if My Boy Prince will have success stretching out.
The field is a good one for the Queenston. Coronation Futurity winner BABBO is back for Lou Tucci and Sid Attard. This is a speedy guy who comes in with three straight wins from last year. Mary Self’s NO MORE OPTIONS is a rising star and he just won a two-turn grass optional race with an 82 Beyer. He won the Frost King Stakes on Tapeta last year and was third to Babbo in the Coronation.
ESSEX SERPENT was a smart debut winner for Casse and Conrad Farm on April 27. He got back on the worktab a month later and is an interesting candidate. And two-time sprint winner JUNIOR HOT SHOT, while not a Plate candidate based on his breeding, looked good winning on May 10 with a 77 Beyer.
The current Top 15 Plate horses from Canadian Thoroughbred are listed below.
Top 15 Plate contenders from CT
Horse/Trainer/Recent status
1. My Boy Prince – Mark Casse – in Queenston, won King Corrie Stakes; 3rd Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G1)
2. Babbo – Sid Attard – returns in Queenston Coronation Futurity
3. No More Options – Z Krcmar –in Queenston, won turf optional race; 4th optional/allowance; 3rd Coronation Futurity
4. Piper’s Factor – K. Vassilieva –won allowance/optional; unplaced in 2 starts at Gulfstream – 2nd Coronation Futurity
5. Waskesiu (f) – Bill Mott – idle, 1st Florida Oaks
6. Midnight Mascot – Mark Casse – Woodstock Stakes
7. Essex Serpent – Mark Casse – in Queenston, debut win
8. Inudation (f) – K. Attard – working at Woodbine – Princess Elizabeth
9. War Painter (f) Kevin Attard, won allowance/optional June 6, 2nd allowance/optional, 2nd Princess Eliz.
10. Stormcast (filly) – Mark Casse; 2nd Honey Ryder Stakes, turf, 80 Beyer
11. Ba Dee Yah (f) – races June 8 in stakes, Prairie Meadows, La Combe Memorial Stakes FG, 6th Grade 2 Fantasy
12. Jokestar – maiden win 2023, 76 Beyer
13. Kin’s Concerto (f) – J. Carroll –3rd allowance/optional vs. older horses
14. Junior Hot Shot – in Queenston, John Ross, allowance/optional sprint win, 77
15. Frac Dancer – M. DePaulo – sidelined, won Texas Glitter S. at 5 furlongs, Tapeta, GP, Mar. 24 – sprint SW
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