Barracks Road drops in class for Jammed Lovely Stakes

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Barracks Road takes a noteworthy drop in class for Wednesday’s $150,000 Jammed Lovely Stakes at Woodbine Racetrack and should be the prohibitive favorite in the seven-furlong sprint for Ontario-bred 3-year-old fillies.

Barracks Road seemingly found her calling on the grass last summer, when she captured two one-mile stakes in front-running style, the Ontario Damsel and the Ontario Colleen.

Barracks Road competed on the Polytrack in her two most recent races. She set a fast pace going 1 1/16 miles before tiring to finish a distant fourth in the Grade 3 Selene Stakes and is exiting a half-length loss to Sugar Again in the open Ruling Angel Stakes.

Trainer Mark Casse said he believes that Barracks Road is more versatile on the grass.

“Turf is probably her preferred surface,” Casse explained. “She definitely can run farther on turf. I think she has some distance limitations on Polytrack. Looking at this race, she shouldn’t have any problem with seven furlongs, which is probably her max on Poly.”

Casse said Barracks Road had a typically solid five-furlong breeze last Wednesday, going in 1:01.20 under jockey Corey Fraser.

“She worked really well the other day,” Casse said. “She’s always been a good work horse, but we were really pleased with the way she breezed.”

First With Class could be the main threat to Barracks Road. The nicely bred daughter of Gone West showed promise in the spring when she won two of her first three starts, including a seven-furlong allowance.

First With Class failed to be an impact player on the grass during the summer, but she was only beaten four lengths when fifth in the 6 1/2-furlong Ruling Angel on Oct. 20.

Luis Contreras will ride First With Class for Sam-Son Farm and trainer Malcolm Pierce.

Dancing Raven is at the end of a productive campaign, during which she won 3 of 7 starts and $208,101 for Windhaven and trainer Mike Doyle.

The highlight of Dancing Raven’s year was a turf score in the restricted La Prevoyante Stakes on Sept. 11. She won her first two races in sprints on Polytrack, over which she was beaten a neck to Jacally in the 1 1/16-mile Eternal Search Stakes in August.

The speedy Platinum Exchange is coming off a fade job in the Grade 2 Raven Run at Keeneland.