Attfield takes his shots in pair of stakes

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Trainer Roger Attfield holds a strong hand in both stakes races Sunday at Woodbine, with Mr. Hustle and Pleasecallmeback in the $100,000 Soaring Free Stakes and Lacustre in the $100,000 Flaming Page Stakes.

In the Soaring Free, Attfield will send out impressive debut winners Mr. Hustle and Pleasecallmeback in the 6 1/2-furlong sprint for 2-year-olds on the E.P. Taylor turf course. Mr. Hustle has won his first two career starts by a combined 9 1/2 lengths, capturing the Victoria Stakes in his most recent start on July 7.

“I thought it was a really nice race,” Attfield said. “He’s coming along quite well. I’m looking forward to him running back this weekend. He’s done everything very well so far. He looks like he has a great future ahead of him.”

Mr. Hustle will make his turf debut in the Soaring Free and will use this start as a prep for the Grade 1, $250,000 Summer Stakes on Sept. 15.

“This is the next stepping-stone up,” Attfield said. “We’re looking for another good effort from him and then we go from there to the Summer Stakes. That’s the idea.”

Pleasecallmeback will step up to stakes company following his debut victory on the grass on July 21, where he drew away from the field to win by three lengths in the six-furlong sprint.

“He was very impressive also,” Attfield said. “Very, very green and needs some racing, but he was able to win that first one quite nicely. I was hoping to separate the two of them if I could, so we’ll have to run them against one another and see where we are.”

Three other 2-year-olds will face the Attfield stablemates, including debut winner Barilko and shippers Hombrazo and Cucina.

In the Flaming Page, Attfield will send out Lacustre in search of her first North American stakes win in the 1 1/2-mile route for older fillies and mares on the E.P. Taylor turf course. Lacustre was a narrow third in her most recent start against allowance company over 1 1/4 miles on turf. She also had finished third earlier this season in the Keertana Stakes over 1 1/2 miles on turf on May 25 at Churchill Downs.

Pamina will likely go off as the favorite in the Flaming Page following her victory in the Grade 3 Ontario Matron Stakes on Tapeta in her most recent start July 13. She does have experience on turf and going long. Last August, she finished second in the Grade 3 Pucker Up Stakes over 1 1/8 miles on turf at Arlington Park.

Other key contenders in the Flaming Page include War Cabinet and Giovanna Blues. War Cabinet ships to Woodbine for trainer Shug McGaughey and is looking for her first career stakes win. Some of her best races have come running long, including two starts back when she finished third in a second-level allowance over 1 1/4 miles on turf May 19 at Belmont Park. Giovanna Blues, meanwhile, rallied from well back to be third in the Grade 3 Ontario Matron Stakes, and she finished fourth in this event last year.

Rounding out the Flaming Page field are Decorating, Summer Luck, and Ambitious Moon.