Attard's pair star in featured turf marathon
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ETOBICOKE, Ontario −Trainer Kevin Attard sends out two "star" runners −Starla and Star Attraction − in Thursday’s Woodbine headliner for nonwinners-of-two allowance types over 1 1/4 miles on the main turf.
Starla showed speed before tiring in each of her first two outings going long, one at Churchill Downs in June and another when fifth in her debut for Attard off a layoff here Aug. 16.
After getting away slowly in a 1 1/4-mile maiden special over the main course here Sept. 5, Starla closed from well off the pace to score at 18-1 over the favored Onehotmess. The daughter of Justify earned a 74 Beyer Speed Figure under Luis Reyes.
Attard said it wasn’t necessarily the plan to have her far back early in a race that begins near a sharp elbow turn leading to the backstretch. It was simply how it worked out.
“When you start a mile-and-quarter race near that bend, it can be a little tricky sometimes,” Attard said. “She had worked really well heading into her local debut. I was expecting a big effort and she was disappointing. We took the blinkers off last time and she stepped up.”
Star Attraction graduated over seven furlongs second-time out last year on the main turf, after which she finished a wide seventh in the Grade 1 Natalma.
This year, Star Attraction made all four of her starts over middle distances on the inner turf. She finished third and fourth in back-to-back races at this level early in the summer. Perhaps her best performance was a second two back to next-out winner Sheshimaintenance in a first-level allowance/optional claimer, the level at which she was a distant second most recently behind a rival who never looked back after opening up a huge lead.
“I’m looking forward to stretching her out,” Attard said. “I think there’s more to her than we’ve seen.”
A daughter of Quality Road, Star Attraction has speed and stamina in her quality pedigree. Attard trained her dam, 2019 Canadian Horse of the Year Starship Jubilee, who won the Grade 1 E.P. Taylor going 1 1/4 miles on the main course. Starship Jubilee has produced the rapid unbeaten sprinter Go for Launch.
Trainer Mark Casse entered Backgammon and Etawa in the seven-horse field.
Backgammon has stuck to middle distances on the grass this year without finding the mark. Off a front-running fourth behind Star Attraction, she figures to be the pacesetter going a distance over which she’s questionable.
The Irish import Etawa is making her Woodbine debut after a stint at Colonial Downs. She placed in four of six outings this year without a victory to her credit. The daughter of Kingman has a second and three thirds from four 1 1/4-mile starts.
Completing the field for the sixth race are Mary Goodnight, Faith Understood, and Go Olivia.
Mary Goodnight has worked nicely since graduating in a slow one-mile maiden special on the inner turf that contained two next-out winners July 26.
Post time is 3:10 p.m. Eastern.
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