Ten Fillies in $500,000 Woodbine Oaks; Plate Trial Draws Just Four

The current class of the Canadian-bred 3-year-old fillies will battle for a winner’s share of $300,000 in the 66th WOODBINE OAKS, presented by Budweiser, Sunday August 1.

Ten gals line up for the Oaks which is at 1 1/8 miles on Tapeta and will run as race eight of an 11-race card. Post time for the Oaks is approximately 4:46 p.m. There are three other stakes races on the card including the $150,000 Plate Trial which only attracted four entrants.

The Trial in recent years has traditionally had a field size of six to eight horses but this year, injuries to some hopefuls, Covid-19-induced delay in racing and a smaller foal crop have impacted the group of contenders.

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The Oaks could yield a top filly as some of the entrants have shown great promise from limited starts.

One gal who is very much proven at route distances and in good stakes company is Breeze Easy’s CURLIN’S CATCH, winner of the Suncoast Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs this spring.

A bay daughter of Curlin, who was bred by famed Sam-Son Farms, brings a record of 2-1-1 from seven starts into the Oaks. Trained by Mark Casse, Curlin’s Catch returned to Woodbine for the Fury Stakes at seven furlongs on Tapeta. She finished a closing third behind undefeated LORENA, who could rule as favourite in the Oaks. Casse has voted that Curlin’s Catch may not be at her best on the Taopeta (versus dirt) but her experience and class make her a top contender.Casse is chasing his fourth Oaks win, having taken the 2006 edition with Kimchi, the 2007 running with Sealy Hill, and the 2014 edition with Lexie Lou. Both Sealy Hill and Lexie Lou went on to take Canadian Horse of the Year honours.

Ontario-sired fillies LORENA and JILLI MARIE are undefeated, stakes winning gals in sprints who will try to get Oaks glory.

Lorena, a daughter of Souper Speedy-Negotiable, by Hat Trick (Jpn) will look to keep her winning ways intact in the Oaks. Trained by Stuart Simon, who co-owns with Brent and Russell McLellan, and former jockey Gerry Olguin, the dark bay is three-for-three in her career, including a front-running score in the Fury Stakes on July 10 at Woodbine.

Bred by Dr. Liam Gannon, Lorena made her debut last November at Woodbine in a 5 ½- furlong main track event.

On June 19 in a 6 ½-furlong trip over the Toronto oval main track, Lorena converted a head advantage at the stretch call into a three-length score in a time of 1:15-flat.

In the Fury, Lorena led the field of Canadian-bred fillies through a quarter in :23.57 and half-mile :46.82, and held her challengers at bay to win the seven-furlong sprint in 1:23.94 with Gary Boulanger in the irons.

“She’s just done everything so well,” praised Simon. “She keeps taking steps forward. I’m not concerned about the distance. I’m a little concerned about running back in three weeks. It’s a cramped schedule, but there’s also only one chance to win the Oaks.”

Lorena is first time with Lasix for the Oaks.

Lorena’s groom, Susie Crawford, has high praise for the filly she refers to as “Lovely Lady.”

“Right from the get-go, she grasped on to everything,” said Crawford. “You didn’t have to asked her twice to learn something. She’s just so smart. She loves her mints and apples, and she loves to nap all the time. She’s calm and classy. She loves what she does. She’s a very sweet-natured horse.”

Jilli Marie will also endeavor to keep her win streak intact.

Owner Kevin Drew of Chatham (Ontario) purchased the filly from the first crop of millionaire Dynamic Sky at the 2019 Canadian Premier Yearling Sale for $15,000 from his neighbour Brian Wright. The bay was Drew’s first Thoroughbred purchase.

Trained by Katerina Vassilieva, Jilli Marie brings a three-for-three record – including a stakes crown – into the Oaks. Last November, under jockey Steven Bahen, she took the South Ocean, winning by 1 ½-lengths in the 6 ½-furlong test over the Woodbine main track.

“She’s a really gritty filly,” said Vassilieva. “She has a lot of heart. She’s such a small horse in stature, but she has a ton of heart. She tries so hard in all of her races. She’s fearless, she’s patient – she has all the right qualities of a really good racehorse.”

Jilli Marie won her three-year-old debut on July 2 at Woodbine, besting 10 rivals over 6 furlongs on the Toronto oval Tapeta.

Vassilieva gives out high marks for her sophomore charge.

“I love the way she sits off and relaxes in her races. She listens to the jockey really well and she’s able to relax. It’s not ideal that we go from a sprint to a mile and eighth. I would have loved to have a two-turn race in between, but we ran out of time because of COVID and how the schedule worked out. The way she’s run her sprints, relaxing and sitting off the pace, and running on when called on, I think she might be able to get the distance. She’s a filly that has always had that competitive spirit.”

Joel Garcia, Jilli Marie’s groom, shares a close bond with the filly.

“She’s professional every single day,” said Garcia. “She’s always very calm in the stall and she knows when she’s going out. She’s great at all times and she always gives her best on the track. She’s tiny, but she is brave. She isn’t scared of anything.”

Another filly who is proven at route distances and has a strong chance to win the Oaks is MUNNYFOR RO, trained by Kevin Attard for Rajendra Maharajh’s Raroma Stable. A maiden winner at 1 1/8 miles on grass at Keeneland this spring, Munnyfor Ro, by Munnings, was second in the Grade 3 Selene in her return to Woodbine.

MISS MARIE has the best last-race Beyer Figure in the field according to Daily Racing Form. She earned an 81 with her upset win in a maiden race on July 10, her second career race. Trained by Breeda Hayes for owner-breeder Garland Williamson (Hillsbrook Farms), Miss Marie, a daughter of Carpe Diem, shrugged off a troubled debut outing before the win under jockey David Moran.

Emmeline, bred by the late Bill Graham, has two runner-up efforts in as many starts in 2021. Overall, the maiden daughter of Violence has assembled a 0-2-1 mark from five starts for trainer Mike Mattine and owners RCC Racing Stable Ltd., and Realm Racing Stables.

Owned by JDLP Holdings, Inc., Erasmo’s Girl heads into the Oaks off a maiden-breaking effort on June 24. Trained by Steven Chircop, the daughter of English Channel, bred by Terry Brooker and Richard Lister, was Hip No. 1175 at the 2019 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Yearling Sale. She was bought for $11,000.

Bred and owned by Franco Meli, Il Malocchio won last year’s Victorian Queen Stakes at Woodbine and was second in the Princess Elizabeth on October 31. This year, the daughter of Souper Speedy is 1-3-1 in eight appearances.

The maiden Lady Moonshine has a pair of thirds in two career starts for owner Bet Two Seven Stables and trainer Mark Casse. A dark bay daughter of multiple graded stakes champ Milwaukee Brew, Lady Moonshine will make her stakes debut in the Oaks and she will have blinkers on.

Youens, a bay daughter of American Pharoah, bred by Sam-Son Farm, has three thirds from six starts to date. Owned by Jaroslav Kowalczyk and trained by Angus Buntain, this gal was claimed for $40,000 on June 10 from a maiden race at 1 1/8 miles on dirt at Churchill. She was second in that race

The Woodbine Oaks is the first leg of the Canadian Triple Tiara, which continues at the Toronto oval with the 1 1/16-mile Bison City Stakes on August 28 and concludes with the Wonder Where Stakes over 1 ½-miles on the E.P. Taylor Turf Course on October 2.

First race post time for Sunday’s stakes-filled program is 1:10 p.m. Fans can watch and wager on all the action via HPIbet.com.

$500,000 WOODBINE OAKS PRESENTED BY BUDWEISER

Post – Horse – Jockey – Trainer

1 – Curlin’s Catch – Rafael Hernandez – Mark Casse – Breeder; Sam-Son Farm $430,000 2-year-old in Training purchase by Breeze Easy

2 – Jilli Marie – Steven Bahen – Katerina Vassilieva – $15,000 CTHS Ontario yearling purchase from breeder Brian Wright by Kevin Drew

3 – Miss Marie – David Moran – Breeda Hayes – homebred for Garland Williamson

4 – Lorena – Gary Boulanger – Stuart Simon – $50,000 CTHS Ontario yearling purchase from breeder Liam Gannon

5 – Youens – Jeffrey Alderson – Angus Buntain – $250,000 yearling Keeneland September purchase by Bill Werner, bred by Sam-Son, recently claimed for $40,000

6 – Emmeline – Emma-Jayne Wilson – John Mattine – $16,000 Keeneland September yearling, bred by Bill Graham

7 – Erasmo’s Girl – Ademar Santos – Steven Chircop $11,000 Fasig Tipton October 2019 yearling purchase

8 – Lady Moonshine – Kazushi Kimura – Mark Casse – bred by Adena Springs, first horse for Bet Two Seven Stables

9 – Il Malocchio – Patrick Husbands – Martin Drexler – homebred for Franco Meli

10 – Munnyfor Ro – Justin Stein – Kevin Attard – $65,000 yearling purchase from Mark Dodson

The PLATE TRIAL, also a 1 1/8 miles, is race 3 with no show wagering. The race lost starters such as Stephen, who is off the Plate trail with an injury, and Trigger’s Bay who was not entered.

All four entrants are Ontario sired and the probable favourite is AVOMAN, an Old Forester gelding bought from the CTHS Ontario yearling sale by Don MacRae and La Huerta Racing for $60,000 from Joey Gee Thoroughbreds. Avoman won the 7 1/2 furlong Bull Page on turf last year and was third against older horses in a 1 1/16 mile main track race July 3 with an 83 Beyer Fogire.

H C HOLIDAY is an unusual story for Ivan Dalos. The son of Ami’s Holiday won his maiden in his second career race and first for trainer Kevin Attard on June 13 but quite some time later, was disqualified due to a Lasix paperwork error (he was supposed to race on Lasix, but did not). That was a nice win in a key race. He came back against winners to be fourth, just behind Avoman.

DERZKII was second in an optional race to the streaking older horse King Causeway last time and the maiden TRUFFLE KING, a last minute entrant, gets blinkers and has shown promise in his four races.

*Woodbine has three stakes races on its Saturday July 31 card including the Victoria and My Dear Stakes, the first added-money events for juveniles.