Woodbine: Short rest may offset Youcan'tcatchme's class edge in sprint feature

ETOBICOKE, Ontario — Off her nose loss in the Nov. 4 Ontario Fashion Stakes, Youcan’tcatchme is the one to fear most in Friday’s Woodbine headliner, but returning to action on short rest may make her vulnerable in the six-furlong second-level optional $62,500 claimer.

Youcan’tcatchme had been idle for nearly a year when she won a five-furlong allowance with an 81 Beyer Speed Figure on July 2. She subsequently finished fifth after attending the pace in the seven-furlong Duchess Stakes.

Returning from a two-month break Sept. 22, Youcan’tcatchme was beaten just 1 3/4 lengths when fourth in the 6 1/2-furlong Ruling Angel Stakes. The 3-year-old Youcan’tcatchme met older opposition in the Grade 3 Ontario Fashion, and was nailed on the wire by a closing Atlantic Hurricane, Canada’s reigning champion female sprinter. Youcan’tcatchme received a career-high 86 Beyer.

Tyler Pizarro will ride Youcan’tcatchme for trainer Sam DiPasquale, who has won at an 11 percent clip with 1- to 13-day comebackers over the past five years. One of those runners, Pure Blue Sky, finished a respectable fifth in the Nov. 3 Maple Leaf Stakes.

Bingo could be the main threat. She won her maiden in style going a mile on the grass in the 2011 Ontario Damsel Stakes, defeating a good field that included Roxy Gap.

Surprisingly, it took Bingo six tries to land a first-level allowance. She finally did so traveling seven furlongs Oct. 28, when she rallied inside over an outside-biased Polytrack to win going away with a 76 Beyer.

Leading rider Luis Contreras retains the mount on the Mark Casse-trained Bingo.

Sca Doodle is coming off a determined score Oct. 5 in a seven-furlong allowance for nonwinners-of-two lifetime, for which she got a 76 Beyer. She worked five-eighths on the training track in a rapid 58.40 seconds on Nov. 7, and might handle the jump in class on Friday.

Elusive One was competitive in her last four appearances on the grass. Two of her three synthetic track excursions were decent, and trainer Malcolm Pierce won a recent stakes here with a mare who went from turf to Polytrack.

Holy Academy awaited room on the turn before closing strongly to take a seven-furlong allowance with the aid of an outside bias Oct. 28.

Grace Phil has struggled since capturing the restricted Passing Mood Stakes on the grass in July.

Lucky Melissa also won an Ontario-sired stakes on the turf in July, the five-furlong Rainbow Connection at Fort Erie. She came up empty following a layoff in a recent optional claimer.

Completing the field are Smart Brass and Gold Dust Lady.