King’s Plate heroine CAITLINHERGRTNESS makes her long-awaited start since her big win on Saturday at Keeneland in the Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup worth $750,000. The daughter of Omaha Beach, owned by WinStar Farm and Siena Farm and trained by Kevin Attard, has Frankie Dettori on board for the 1 1/8 mile turf race.
Winner of her only outing on the grass, Caitlinhergrntness has been working steadily since mid-September. She has post position 2 in a 10-filly field and is 12-to-1 on the morning line odds.
The race is a tough event with graded stakes winner SHE FEELS PRETTY, BUCHI and POUNCE among the entrants.
Caitlinhergrntess is bypassing Saturday’s Woodbine stakes race, the $125,000 ONTARIO DAMSEL for three-year-old fillies at 1 1/16 miles on the Tapeta. It is an open stakes race and there are five shippers and quite a bit of early pace in the 13-horse field.
Attard is represented by AIROSA, who ran a big race on the dirt in the Prince of Wales Stakes when second to Vitality. Airosa has not won on Tapeta but is making her third start off the layoff.
US trainers hold a hot hand with Graham Motion sending YATTA, a graded stakes-placed turf filly for Eclipse Thoroughbreds, and Godolphin’s PENDULUM, trained by Brendan Walsh, was third in the Virginia Oaks last time. DESTINY STAR, trained and co-owned by Tim Hamm, is stakes-placed and coming off a big win on turf at Saratoga.
The ONTARIO FASHION STAKES (presented by Tanqueray) is a Grade 3 Tapeta sprint for three-year-olds and up, fillies and mares and 10 gals will line up including likely favourite TICKER TAPE HOME, an Ontario-bred who just won the Grade 3 Seaway at 7 furlongs, her second straight win.
On Sunday, Thanksgiving Day, two-year-olds will compete in a pair of 7 furlong races, the Glorious Song and Display.
The $125,000 Display has six colts and geldings and is headlined by Soaring Free Stakes winner CAIRO CAPER for William Thompson and Juvenile Stakes winner BUCARO for Commonwealth New Era Racing and partners.
The Glorious Song also has just six entrants and double restricted stakes winner SOUPER SUPREME is a contender along with $725,000 yearling purchase CHARLOTE’S HEART, a winner at Saratoga.