Franco Meli’s homebred 4-year-old IL MALOCCHIO tries for two stakes victories in a row when she takes on eight other fillies and mares in the $100,000 La Prevoyante Stakes for Ontario-sired horses on Saturday, December 10 at Woodbine.
Saturday is the penultimate card of racing for the 2022 Woodbine season and there are 13 races with mouth-wateringly big fields awaiting bettors. Sunday’s closing day card also has 14 large fields. Post time for each day is earlier than usual, at 12:55 p.m.
The La Prevoyante, named after Jean Louis Levesque’s great filly of 1972 and ’73 who was a champion in Canada and the US, is race 10 and is run at 1 1/16 miles on the Tapeta. That means Il Malocchio (Souper Speedy – Egbert Bay by Silgo Bay (Ire) will be shortening up from 1 1/4 miles, the distance of the Grade 3 Maple Leaf Stakes she won on Nov. 12.
That Maple Leaf victory for Il Malocchio was the first win for the filly in 2022 after somewhat of a frustrating season for the Martin Drexler trainee. After beginning the year at Gulfstream Park with a third-place finish in the Grade 3 Royal Delta Stakes behind the top US mare Letruska, Il Malocchio was second in the Belle Mahone Stakes and a couple of optional claiming races before her Maple Leaf win.
Drexler chalked up her improved run to the colder weather and a good trip in the race under the red-hot Sahin Civaci.
Among Il Maloccio’s challengers in the La Prevoyante is last year’s winner of the race, SILENT CAUSEWAY, who has been a wonderful mare for owner and trainer Laura Krasauskaite since she purchased her for just $4,000 at the 2018 CTHS Ontario yearling sale from breeder Michael Deegan.
Silent Causeway gave Krasauskaite of Nobleton, ON her first stakes win in the 2021 La Prevoyante just four years after taking out her trainer’s license. The daughter of Silent Names (Jpn) – Good Religion by Giant’s Causeway has won three races this year including a $25,000 claiming race that seemed to get the 5-year-old back in form. The mare comes off a win in a starter allowance under her favourite rider Patrick Husbands.
Ontario Sire Heritage Series distaff division winner GOLDEN VISION, third in last year’s La Prevoyante, comes off a win in the Eternal Search Stakes on Oct. 9 for Elizabeth and Gordon Lickrish and trainer Tino Attard and 3-year-old STREGA just won her first stakes race in the Ashbridges Bay for sophomores on Nov. 18.
Woodbine’s leading trainer Mark Casse sends out the red-hot filly LADY MOONSHINE in the La Prevoyante, the first stakes try for the Milwaukee Brew – Lightning Lucy, by Giant’s Causeway gal. Lady Moonshine has won her last four races on Tapeta, at three different distances, for Bet Two Seven Stables.
FIELD FOR THE LA PREVOYANTE
Post – Horse – Jockey – Trainer
1 – November Fog – Jose Campos – Sarah Ritchie
2 – Strega – Jason Hoyte – Kevin Attard
3 – Lady Moonshine – Eswan Flores – Mark Casse
4 – Golden Vision – Rafael Hernandez – Tino Attard
5 – Silent Causeway – Patrick Husbands – Laura Krasauskaite
6 – Il Malocchio – Sahin Civaci – Martin Drexler
7 – Talk to Ya Later – Emma-Jayne Wilson – Ian Black
8 – Swinging Mandy – Daisuke Fukumoto – Mark Casse
9 – Lorena – Gary Boulanger – Stuart Simon
More from Canadian Thoroughbred:
