Attard well stocked with contenders for stakes-laden program
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ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Trainer Kevin Attard will be busy in the supporting stakes on Saturday’s Woodbine Mile card when sending out Cattrall and De la Renta in the Grade 1 Natalma along with Quipster in the Grade 1 Summer, both one-mile main turf routes for 2-year-olds with a $500,000 purse. Longshot War Painter goes in the Grade 3 Ontario Matron, and 2025 King’s Plate winner Mansetti turns back to seven furlongs in the Grade 3 Vigil.
Cattrall should lead the way in the Natalma off a second-out maiden score under John Velazquez where she fought off the other speed before drawing clear to score by 2 1/4 lengths in a 6 1/2-furlong main turf sprint Aug. 15.
“She’s quick, so we’re going to use that speed as an asset,” Attard said. “She breaks pretty quick and likes to roll early. She’s had two good races. I breezed her solo [last Saturday] to not get her too sharp. Hopefully, we can stretch her out.”
De la Renta is another filly who won her maiden on the lead under Velazquez, doing so at first asking on the Tapeta in July. She ran greenly from off the pace to defeat males in the 6 1/2-furlong Soaring Free Stakes on the main turf Aug. 15.
“They were rolling early and I think she got run off her feet a little bit,” Attard said, regarding the Soaring Free. “Down the stretch, she just seemed green, looking at things.”
De la Renta breezed an easy half-mile around the cones in 50 seconds on the main turf last Saturday.
“She was still acting a little green when I worked her on the turf course, gawking at the grandstand,” Attard said. “I just wanted her to have another look out there, to try to get used to it. I think the extra distance is going to help her a lot.”
Both fillies will get new riders. Umberto Rispoli has the mount aboard De la Renta and Pietro Moran rides Cattrall.
In recent years, the Natalma has produced the future champions Nitrogen and She Feels Pretty. Saturday’s renewal contains the unbeaten fillies Lamirada and Embouteillage. Both could be any kind.
The Josie Carroll-trained Lamirada was arguably the most impressive debut winner of the Woodbine meet. She won a six-furlong maiden special by 11 3/4 lengths with an 86 Beyer Speed Figure on the Tapeta Aug. 8. The daughter of 11 percent turf route sire Army Mule is out of turf winner Sister Nation, the dam of Tapeta stakes winner Notorious Gangster.
Velazquez is sticking with the Maryland-based Embouteillage, a daughter of Kingman who won her 5 1/2-furlong debut in a maiden special on the Saratoga turf for trainer Graham Motion.
“We liked her going into it,” Motion said. “She’s not a big filly, but a very well put together filly with a nice demeanor and a nice attitude. That said, she’s been a little wound up since her first race. I worked her on her own on Sunday.”
Trainer Mark Casse entered five fillies in the Natalma, three of whom are cross-entered in the Summer. The best of the lot could be Royal Foxtrot, who finished second to a flying Meloni in the Aug. 15 Catch a Glimpse Stakes. She was previously second in another turf sprint against maidens behind favored Go for Launch, who subsequently took the Bolton Landing Stakes in an upset at Saratoga.
Summer
Oscar and Al Hudaiba could vie for favoritism in the Summer.
Trained by Miguel Clement, Oscar looked like a seasoned veteran going through a narrow gap along the inside in the lane to land his Aug. 8 debut in a 1 1/16-mile maiden special at Saratoga.
“He was probably one of our most professional 2-year-old winners,” Clement said. “I think he’s very talented.”
Clement’s late father, Christophe, won the Summer twice, with Carson’s Run and Decorated Invader.
The Charlie Appleby-trained Al Hudaiba made all five of his starts in England. The Godolphin homebred won three races at Newmarket, including the Group 2 Superlative, after which he ran third in the Group 2 Coral Vintage at Goodwood.
Induction is coming off a first-out score in a one-mile maiden special at Colonial, proving to be a pleasant surprise to Motion.
“He had worked fine leading into the race, but he hadn’t worked like the type of horse who was going to go out and win in that manner,” Motion said. “He’s a very attractive horse, one who catches your eye.”
Quipster beat maiden-special rivals at first asking on the Tapeta and is exiting a fading third in the Soaring Free.
“I was a little disappointed with him in the Soaring Free,” Attard recalled. “We’ve been working on getting him to relax. I think he’s got talent and hasn’t shown his best yet.”
Vigil
Mansetti is looking to regroup while dodging the divisional leaders in the $175,000 Vigil. He was squeezed back after the break and then mounted a wide rally from last into contention on the far turn before fading to sixth going 1 1/16 miles last out in the Grade 3 Seagram Cup.
“We’ve been trying to avoid Paramount Prince and Runaway Again,” Attard said. “His last race, he obviously lost all chance at the start, but he made a big, sweeping move a little prematurely. If he can make that same move going seven-eighths, he could be dangerous.”
Souped Up figures to be the controlling speed off his gutsy victory in the Grade 3 Bold Venture going 6 1/2 furlongs Aug. 15. His good seven-furlong form included a narrow loss in a Nov. 15 conditioned allowance, for which he got a career-high 94 Beyer.
Notorious Gangster raced wide throughout over an inside-biased track while closing for third in the Bold Venture. He earned a big 96 Beyer when landing his season opener in a seven-furlong conditioned allowance.
Piper’s Factor led until the final jump when losing the Grade 2 King Edward on the inner turf by a whisker to Gas Me Up Aug. 15. The versatile 5-year-old shouldn’t mind turning back from a mile with Velazquez retaining the mount.
Ontario Matron
The $175,000 Ontario Matron looks like it should set up for Fantastical, who came from her Turfway base to win the Grade 3 Trillium over 1 1/8 miles here July 25. The Joe Sharp-trained closer was previously second here in the Grade 3 Royal North on the inner turf.
There is no shortage of speed in the 1 1/16-mile event. Lupa, Hurricane Clair, and Serendipity all prefer racing up front and perhaps Serendipity could assume an early staking trip from her outside draw before making a bid.
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