Artie's Princess starts her season in Whimsical Stakes
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – With a string racing at Royal Ascot, trainer Wesley Ward has already had a busy week. He will have another international runner Saturday when reigning Canadian champion female sprinter Artie’s Princess goes favored in the Grade 3 Whimsical, one of two six-furlong stakes on a 12-race card at Woodbine.
A 4-year-old owned by Ken and Sarah Ramsey, Artie’s Princess is 5 for 6 on Woodbine’s synthetic Tapeta surface. She earned a big 96 Beyer Speed Figure when taking her last start in the Grade 2 Bessarabian here Nov. 21 over Boardroom. She was disqualified from fourth to seventh in her lone turf try, in the Coronation Cup Stakes at Saratoga.
Ward said Artie’s Princess is ready to roll and will have Kazushi Kimura aboard.
“She’s going great,” Ward said. “She’s been ready for this for a long time now. She’s really nice, very sound. She’s not very good on the dirt. As you can see by her only turf start, she’s not nearly as good on the grass as she is on the synthetic.”
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Ward said his operation has become a truly international one.
“The majority of my horses are in Kentucky. I have horses in England. I have horses in Canada. I have one running Sunday in France. How many other trainers have horses in four countries?” Ward said with a laugh.
Boardroom could once again be the main threat to Artie’s Princess in the $150,000 Whimsical.
Boardroom made all five of her starts last year on the Tapeta, with the highlight a victory in the seven-furlong Duchess Stakes for 3-year-old fillies. She salvaged third after one of her reins broke at the beginning of the Ruling Angel Stakes, and took the long way home before losing the Bessarabian by just a head.
Luis Contreras will ride Boardroom again for LNJ Foxwoods and trainer Josie Carroll, who also entered the lightly raced allowance winner Golden Ami.
Summer Sunday was Canada’s champion female sprinter in 2019, when she won graded stakes on turf and the main track at Woodbine. The 6-year-old finished third behind Jean Elizabeth and Painting in last year’s Whimsical before going on to win a conditioned allowance and the Belle Mahone Stakes, her first and only start around two turns.
Gary Boulanger, back in action after knee surgery, subs for the sidelined Rafael Hernandez on the Stuart Simon-trained Summer Sunday.
Trainer Mark Casse entered Grade 3 turf stakes winner Chart and Our Secret Agent, the third-place finisher in the 2020 Bessarabian. Rounding out the field are 2019 Bessarabian winner Amalfi Coast and Sav.
Star Shoot Stakes
Carroll sends out Drunk Dial, another LNJ Foxwoods runner, in the $125,000 Star Shoot for 3-year-old fillies.
After breaking a tad slowly, Drunk Dial darted out to a clear lead en route to an easy 5 1/2-length score with an 80 Beyer when debuting in a six-furlong maiden special on Nov. 7. She got the winter off and has been working right along.
Casse sends out California Lily, Dirty Dangle, La Libertee, and supplement Polyanthus.
The erratic California Lily is back on the surface over which she graduated at first asking with an 83 Beyer in October. She could link up with Drunk Dial on the front end.
Sweet Souper Sweet ships in from Fair Hill in Maryland for her first run of the season. She notched her debut here last June before taking the Presque Isle Debutante Stakes for Live Oak Plantation, last year’s Sovereign Award-winning owner.