Tiz Breathtaking, winner of the 5 ½-furlong Shady Well Stakes in her third career start at Woodbine on August 4, will be stretching out to 1 1/16 miles while looking to double up in Saturday’s Mazarine Stakes.
The Mazarine, which offers Grade 3 status and a purse of $125,000, attracted a field of seven two-year-old fillies.
Tiz Breathtaking, owned and bred by Bill Graham, was a winner at first asking when travelling 4 ½ furlongs for trainer Mike Doyle.
In her second appearance, which came in the 5 ½ furlong My Dear, Tiz Breathtaking finished well to be third, beaten just a neck, and was moved up to second upon the disqualification of first-place finisher My Gal Betty.
Following the Shady Well, Doyle had considered the September 16 Natalma, a Grade 1 race over one mile of turf, but elected to await the Mazarine.
“We skipped the Natalma because she sort of didn’t look like she was the same on the turf,” said Doyle. “So we waited, and she’s done great in between. She’s had a nice break between races, and I would anticipate that she’s going to run very well.”
Doyle also is unfazed by the fact that Tiz Breathtaking will be trying two turns for the first time.
“I think the further, the better,” said the trainer, who will give leading rider Eurico Rosa da Silva a leg up on Tiz Breathtaking.
Carnival Colors, who is shipping in from Fair Hills, Maryland, has proven her mettle at the Mazarine distance.
The Godolphin homebred finished a closing third when debuting at 5 ½ furlongs over Arlington’s Polytrack surface and then romped by 11 ½ lengths when trying two turns in her only subsequent start.
“We’ve liked her quite a bit, from early on,” said Michael Stidham. “First time out, sprinting, we knew she was going to need more ground than that so we were just looking to get a little education into her.
“When we did stretch her out, in her second start, she was very impressive. She’s trained really well since then, so we’re thinking that she might be tough to beat.”
Carnival Colors has been prepping over Fair Hill’s Tapeta surface since that August 16 romp while Stidham considered his options.
“We were nominated to (Keeneland’s Grade 1) Alcibiades, and a couple of other spots,” said Stidham. “We were just looking, and decided that we might not get into the Alcibiades, so that kind of pushed us more in your direction.”
Luis Contreras has picked up the mount on Carnival Colors for the Mazarine.
Comic Kitten and Not Orbinary are returning to the main track after finishing sixth and ninth, respectively, in the Natalma.
Both graduated over Woodbine’s Tapeta, with Comic Kitten winning first crack out at a mile and 70 yards and Not Orbinary scoring at seven furlongs in her second of three career outings.
Lady Azalea, won a turf sprint in her second appearance and most recently ended third when making her Tapeta debut at six furlongs. She also is a Bill Graham homebred but is trained by Roger Attfield.
Doyle also will send out Crumlin Time one of two supplements for the Mazarine along with Jolie Bay.
“I’ve got nowhere else to run her right now,” said Doyle, who also owns Crumlin Time in partnership with Bill Duffy.
Crumlin Bay has seen action five times, graduating last out over a mile and 70 yards in her two-turn debut.
Jolie Bay, conditioned by Mark Casse, has raced four times with her first victory coming over six furlongs in her most recent outing. Casse has won a record seven runnings of the Mazarine, including last year’s edition with Wonder Gadot, who went on to take year’s Queen’s Plate and Prince of Wales Stakes.
$125,000 Mazarine Stakes (Grade 3)
PP/Horse/Jockey/Trainer
1/Comic Kitten/Alan Garcia/Mike Maker
2/Not Orbinary/Gary Boulanger/Gail Cox
3/Lady Azalea/Rafael Hernandez/Roger Attfield
4/Carnival Colors/Luis Contreras/Michael Stidham
5/Jolie Bay/Jerome Lermyte/Mark Casse
6/Crumlin Time/David Moran/Mike Doyle
7/Tiz Breathtaking/Eurico Rosa da Silva/Mike Doyle
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