Aliado has it in her blood

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Several nicely bred 2-year-old fillies, including first-time starter Aliado, will start in Thursday's first race at Woodbine, a $25,000 optional maiden claimer scheduled for 5 1/2 furlongs.

Aliado, owned and bred by Kinghaven Farm, is a daughter of El Prado, who commands a $100,000 stud fee and is North America's second-leading sire. El Prado's juveniles have been striking at a 10 percent rate their first time out.

The average distance at which El Prado's offspring win overall is 7.2 furlongs, but Aliado is more bred for speed on the dam's side of her pedigree. She is a half-sister to three winners, including stakes-winning sprinter Olympian, who won his first start at 2 before recording nine other victories and earning more than $500,000.

Aliado has had 12 workouts, mostly over the training track, under the guidance of trainer Roger Attfield.

Sanfran, a Japanese-bred by successful sire Forty Niner, has hit the board in 4 of 7 outings. Trained by Laurie Silvera, she most recently had a four-wide trip when she finished fourth in a six-furlong maiden special won by Ringlet.

Sanfran is adding blinkers, which is an angle Silvera has fared well with since the beginning of 2003. Corey Fraser, one of Woodbine's hottest riders, retains the mount.

Picture That ended up fourth before galloping out strongly when she debuted in a tough maiden dash on Oct. 23. She followed it up by running sixth in a key six-furlong maiden special on Nov. 7.

Four horses have come out of Picture That's second race to run big. Charming Ruckus, the winner, was subsequently second in allowance company; Carlea, the fourth-place finisher, was beaten on the wire in a maiden special; and Wild Lulu (seventh) and Michelle's Honour (11th) both came back to graduate in maiden claimers.

Picture That breezed three-eighths of a mile in 37 seconds the other day, and she will be making her second start with Lasix.

Sold the Gold had a three-wide trip over an inside-biased track when she finished second against $40,000 maidens in her Nov. 6 debut. She earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 50 in the process, comparable to the numbers that Picture That and Sanfran have posted.

Look to the Stars was away with the first flight before fading to finish sixth in her lone outing on Sept. 26. She is a half-sister to multiple graded stakes winner Isitingood.