Woodbine: E.P. Taylor's depth may boost Barefoot Lady's odds

Michael Burns

Barefoot Lady, shown winning the Grade 2 Canadian, is listed at a generous 6-1 as fourth choice in Sunday's E.P. Taylor Stakes.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario — Barefoot Lady was shipping in from England below the radar when she won the Grade 2 Canadian Handicap over 1 1/8 miles of turf at odds of 7-1 here at Woodbine on Sept. 16.

Now, even with that success under her belt and another four weeks to establish a comfortable local routine, Barefoot Lady again could be overlooked with the likes of recent European arrivals Siyouma and Princess Highway, plus U.S. shipper Dream Peace, looming as the darlings of Sunday’s Grade 1, $1 million E.P. Taylor Stakes. The Taylor is a Win and You’re In event for the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf.

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The 13-horse field for the E.P. Taylor, a 1 1/4-mile turf race for fillies and mares, was announced Thursday morning, and Barefoot Lady is the fourth choice on Woodbine oddsmaker Ernie Perri’s morning line at 6-1.

Barefoot Lady had failed to measure up at the Group 1 level in England, but established a reputation as a consistent horse and had come into the Canadian off a good fourth-place finish when facing males in the York’s Group 3 Strensall Stakes at 1 1/8 miles.

“She’s settled, she’s happy, and she’s trained well,” said Alyson Deniel, assistant to trainer Richard Fahey who has been with Barefoot Lady since the 4-year-old arrived here the week before the Canadian.

Local rider David Moran picked up the mount on Barefoot Lady for the Canadian when her scheduled pilot, Jamie Spencer, came in well over the assigned 113-pound impost.

Tony Hamilton, a stable rider for Fahey who was in the irons for Barefoot Lady’s most recent victory in England, will be here for the E.P. Taylor.

Siyouma early choice for Taylor

Siyouma, who checked in from France off a win in the Group 1 Sun Chariot over one mile of turf at Newmarket, has been made the 3-1 morning-line favorite for the E.P. Taylor.

Francois Doumen trains Siyouma, and Gerard Mosse retains the mount.

Dream Peace, a European transplant who recently was transferred to trainer Chad Brown in New York, is the second choice on the morning line at 7-2.

Ramon Dominguez has the mount on Dream Peace, who is coming off a close third-place finish in the Grade 1 Flower Bowl over 1 1/4 miles of yielding turf at Belmont.

Princess Highway, the third choice at 5-1, is trained in Ireland by Dermot Weld and finished seventh last time out in the Group 1 Prix Vermeille over about 1 1/2 miles at Longchamp.

Pat Smullen, brother of local Team Stronach trainer Sean Smulllen, has the mount.

All Star Heart, Stars to Shine, and Kapitale, the 2-3-4 finishers from the Canadian, all are returning for the E.P. Taylor, along with Moment of Majesty, who finished seventh that day.

Havant, Pagera, Trois Lunes all checked in from Paris late Tuesday afternoon along with Siyouma, and Vamo A Galupiar arrived from California on Wednesday.

Locally based Kissable, coming off a third-place finish in Saratoga’s Glens Falls, is trained by Roger Attfield, who sent out Miss Keller to capture the 2010 running of the E.P. Taylor.