Woodbine: Tu Endie Wei one to watch in Ontario Debutante

Michael Burns

Tu Endie Wei wins a maiden race and earns a Beyer Speed Figure of 91.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Tu Endie Wei will make her much-anticipated second start Saturday at Woodbine in the $150,000 Ontario Debutante, and heads a promising six-horse field in the 6 1/2-furlong stakes for 2-year-old fillies.

Tu Endie Wei is a half-sister to the recently retired 2010 Canadian Horse of the Year Biofuel. Like Biofuel, she is trained by Reade Baker for owner Brereton Jones.

Tu Endie Wei commenced her career in the open My Dear Stakes, rallying strongly from off a sizzling pace to win going away. Her rapid five-furlong time of 56.93 translated into a whopping 91 Beyer Figure.

“I thought she would win,” Baker said. “She had manhandled horses in the barn that were okay. I didn’t mind the outside post. I thought she could circle the field and beat them. Part of all the conversation about her is because of the huge numbers, but I don’t really buy into them because they’re a product of a suicidal pace. She’s a really good filly, and she ran really well, but not quite as good as the numbers would leave you to believe.”

Baker said he didn’t want to run Tu Endie Wei out of town after such an auspicious debut.

“She’s a little on the flighty side,” Baker said. “I didn’t want to put her on a van and get her shook up. You might not get her unwound. She loved the surface here when she ran. I’m not anxious to go anywhere with her. If everything goes all right, I’ll wait two months and run her back in the Mazarine Stakes. I’m concentrating more on what she’s going to be like as a 3- and 4-year-old. I’m not worried about getting too much done early. She’s not a speedball 2-year-old.”

Kentucky shipper Givhans Ferry graduated at first asking in a five-furlong maiden special at Churchill. She registered a 76 Beyer in the race, which was taken off the turf and moved to the dirt.

“She won her race nicely, and I think it was a nice field of fillies,” said trainer David Carroll. “She’s not a real big filly, but she’s very well-balanced and has a great mind. She shipped beautifully, and appears to be coming into the race in great shape. She trained very well on the Poly at Keeneland throughout April, but sometimes horses train well but don’t run well on it.”

Northern Passion got an 81 Beyer while winning her debut for trainer Mark Casse here July 9.