Woodbine: Blue Heart freshened for Jammed Lovely start

Michael Burns

Blue Heart has not run on Polytrack since winning the Bison City Stakes in July.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Blue Heart returns from a layoff Saturday at Woodbine in the $150,000 Jammed Lovely Stakes, and has been working bullets in preparation for the seven-furlong sprint for Ontario-bred 3-year-old fillies.

Blue Heart, trained by Brian Lynch, was one of the leading 2-year-old fillies at Woodbine last year. She got a late start to her 2012 campaign because of bone bruising, which forced her to miss the Woodbine Oaks, but she was victorious in the second leg of the Canadian Triple Tiara, the $250,000 Bison City Stakes on the Polytrack.

Blue Heart competed in a pair of turf stakes in her last two outings. She was a troubled sixth, beaten just three lengths, in the restricted Wonder Where, and a nonthreatening eighth in the Grade 3 Ontario Colleen on Aug. 25.

“For some reason, she threw us a clunker in the Colleen,” Lynch said. “After discussing it with the owners, we gave her a freshening up and set our goal as the Jammed Lovely. She seems to run good fresh, and obviously runs good on the Poly. Seven-eighths is an ideal distance for her, especially when she’s fresh.”

Luis Contreras will ride Blue Heart, who worked six furlongs in 1:13.20 last Saturday.

Casa Loma recorded her first triumph of the year against older second-level allowance opposition Oct. 17, when she upset Sharp Secretary in a gate-to-wire score. She got a Beyer Speed Figure of only 75 that day, which was much lower than the 82 she earned for finishing a close fourth in another optional claimer Sept. 22.

Casa Loma has been among the top three in four stakes at the meet, including a third in the 1 1/16-mile Bison City and a second to reigning champion 2-year-old filly Tu Endie Wei in the six-furlong Star Shoot.

Steve Bahen retains the mount on the Bob Tiller-trained Casa Loma.

Evil Kitten peaked in a runner-up placing to the favored Colonial Flag in the one-mile Ontario Colleen in August. Most recently, she rallied wide from far back for third in the 6 1/2-furlong Ruling Angel, an open stakes.

Part the Seas was supplemented by trainer Malcolm Pierce for $3,000. She dropped a neck decision to longshot Lateegra Oct. 6 in the nine-furlong Carotene Stakes on the grass. Her maiden win took place over seven furlongs on the Polytrack in April.

Acting Naughty has been victorious in 3 of her last 4 starts, including a pair of $32,000 claimers in the summer. She closed from sixth to win a recent 6 1/2-furlong allowance going away with an 80 Beyer Figure, and has since worked quickly.