Artilena preps for Woodbine Oaks in Fury Stakes

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – With the $500,000 Woodbine Oaks now four weeks away on June 8, the seven Canadian-bred 3-year-old fillies in Sunday’s $125,000 Fury Stakes, a seven-furlong sprint on Tapeta, will be looking to earn their spot in the Oaks starting gate.

One of those fillies is Artilena, winner of last season’s Ontario Lassie Stakes, who will be making her 3-year-old debut in the Fury. Despite not racing this winter, Artilena has been in training with Catherine Day Phillips at the Palm Meadows training center in Boynton Beach, Fla.

Artilena won the 1 1/16-mile Ontario Lassie by a head over Fury Stakes rival Hastalavistababy. That win set her on the path to the Oaks, Day Phillips said.

“Her handling of two turns well had given us the eye on the Oaks, so to speak,” Day Phillips said. “She had a little break in Ocala after the Ontario Lassie. She came to us at Palm Meadows during the winter. She wasn’t quite ready to run yet, but she trained well there and started breezing.”

Day Phillips said she also considered running Artilena in the Grade 3, $125,000 Selene Stakes over 1 1/16 miles on Tapeta next Saturday, but opted for the Fury instead.

“The Fury seems to make sense,” she said. “Just given the timing, we weren’t going to fit three races in, so we’re going to go Fury and then if all is good, go from the Fury to the Oaks. It’s four weeks out from the Oaks. We had the option of going in the Selene, but the Selene is open and it’s three weeks before the Oaks. It seems like that’s a little too much.”

Jockey Emma-Jayne Wilson guided Artilena to victory in the Ontario Lassie and has worked with her during the winter. She will be aboard Sunday.

“Emma had been down a few times and breezed her at Palm Meadows,” Day Phillips said. “She’s been on her and has sort of been with her and has been on her for her breezes up here. Last weekend’s breeze was very, very good.”

Key contenders

Artilena, by Artie Schiller

Last 3 Beyers: 72-61-27

◗ Artilena has never finished worse than second in four starts on the Woodbine Tapeta. She won her maiden at this distance by 11 lengths last August.

Intanga Rose, by Animal Kingdom

Last 3 Beyers: 67-78-64

◗ After winning her first two starts as a 2-year-old last season, Intanga Rose was fourth following a slow start in her stakes debut in the Star Shoot Stakes here April 21.

Speedy Soul, by Souper Speedy

Last 3 Beyers: 64-63-58

◗ Like Intanga Rose, Speedy Soul also won both of her 2-year-old starts last season before starting in the Star Shoot Stakes. Speedy Soul finished sixth in the Star Shoot in her first start for trainer Mark Casse and will now add blinkers. She will have Patrick Husbands in the saddle.

Western Curl, by Curlin

Last 3 Beyers: 74-65-72

◗ One of three trained by Casse in this event, Western Curl was the busiest of all seven fillies in the field this winter, racing twice at Gulfstream Park and once at Aqueduct. She finished third in an allowance event over a mile on the turf at Aqueduct in her most recent start April 10.