Attard has formidable duo in maiden special weight

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Trainer Kevin Attard sends out the powerful one-two punch of La Culasse and Meilani in a quality maiden special for 2-year-old fillies on Thanksgiving Day at Woodbine on Monday.

La Culasse is the obvious favorite in the one-mile inner turf route. After ending up third as the favorite in her debut, she finished a close third after setting the pace in the Grade 1 Natalma. Last year’s Natalma third-place finisher was the maiden Nitrogen, who was crowned Canadian champion 2-year-old filly at year’s end and is currently the leading 3-year-old filly on the continent.

Attard said he wasn’t disappointed with La Culasse’s opening race and wasn’t surprised when she ran third in the Natalma.

“I knew she was a little short for that race,” Attard said of her debut. “She ran to exactly what I thought. She made a nice little move and then flattened out. She worked really well heading into the [Natalma] so we gave it a shot.”

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Attard said La Culasse, a daughter of freshman sire Knicks Go, has trained forwardly heading into Monday’s race after he decided to bypass last Sunday’s Cup and Saucer Stakes with her.

“Her first work back was a little flat, so we gave her a little more time, and I thought last week’s work was much better,” Attard said.

Apprentice Pietro Moran will ride La Culasse for owners Al and Bill Ulwelling. Moran won the $1 million King’s Plate for them in August on the Attard-trained Mansetti.

Meilani was a minor player in her first two starts on the main turf and is coming off a narrow loss in a one-mile maiden special on the inner turf on Sept. 13.

“She’s a filly that we like a lot,” Attard said. “I thought last time she almost waited on horses when she made the lead. She’s doing well. This looks like a good spot for her.”

Rafael Hernandez picks up the mount on Meilani, who breezed a quick half-mile in 47 seconds on Oct. 3. Heading into this week, Hernandez was 12 for 47 for Attard at the meet.

Completing the field in the opener on the seven-race card are Scotch Mist, Lapin de Plage, On My Time, and Pina Colada.

Scotch Mist could be the main threat to the Attard duo. Sent off at 12-1 when debuting Sept. 13, she lagged behind the field after getting away slowly and then mounted a wide rally for third, finishing just 1 1/4 lengths behind Meilani.

Jose Campos will ride Scotch Mist again for trainer Don MacRae, who has won at a 13 percent rate with maiden 2-year-old second-timers during the past five years.

Lapin de Plage checked in sixth behind Meilani and Scotch Mist after racing three wide on the first turn in her initial grass outing Sept. 13. Apprentice Austin Adams inherits the mount from Hernandez on the Catherine Day Phillips-trained runner.

Nitrogen’s trainer, Mark Casse, sends out first-time Lasix-user On My Time and Pina Colada, who trailed in ninth in the Natalma.

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