Brooklynsway back sooner than planned in Star Shoot Stakes

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Brooklynsway will begin her march toward the Woodbine Oaks in Sunday’s $125,000 Star Shoot Stakes, a six-furlong sprint for 3-year-old fillies at Woodbine.

Running Brooklynsway in the Star Shoot was not trainer John Ross’s original plan, as he has supplemented the filly to the race. Ross said he was originally targeting the $150,000 Fury Stakes on May 3 for Brooklynsway’s 2015 debut, but her four-furlong breeze in 48 seconds here Tuesday convinced Ross that she was ready.

“She worked really sharp, and she’s doing well,” Ross said. “She had a real good breeze, and she’s ready to do something.”

With runs in the Star Shoot and Fury stakes before the Woodbine Oaks, Brooklynsway’s campaign will mirror that of Lexie Lou, who went on to win the Woodbine Oaks and the Queen’s Plate in 2014. Lexie Lou ran fourth in her 2014 debut in the Star Shoot for Ross before she was sold privately to Gary Barber and moved to trainer Mark Casse.

“My idea for this race is the same thing with Lexie Lou; it’s to give [Brooklynsway] that race and hope she gets a lot out of it,” he said. “[Six furlongs is] not her total forte, but hopefully she gets a lot out of it and it sets her up nicely for the Fury.”

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KEY CONTENDERS

Brooklynsway (Last 3 Beyers: 70-75-62)

◗ Brooklynsway might excel at longer distances later in the season, but one of her two stakes victories last season was in the 6 1/2-furlong Muskoka Stakes.

Spanish Pipedream (Beyers: 63-72)

◗ Spanish Pipedream is undefeated in three starts in North America and comes into this race off a 3 1/4-length victory in the Cincinnati Trophy Stakes at Turfway Park on Feb. 22.

◗ She won first time out as a juvenile last April at Keeneland and then ran fourth in the Group 2 Queen Mary Stakes at Ascot last June.

Galina Point (Last 3 Beyers: 67-63-69)

◗ Another private purchase for Barber and Casse last season, Galina Point appears to have a bit of foundation underneath her heading into this race after a series of breezes at the Ocala Training Center.

◗ With the exception of her career debut, Galina Point performed well in sprints last season, recording a 69 Beyer Speed Figure while finishing second in the Fanfreluche Stakes in October and a 68 Beyer while winning her maiden by 6 3/4 lengths last September.

Bossy (Last 3 Beyers: 55-67-67)

◗ Bossy encountered a wide trip in the Cincinnati Trophy Stakes that might have cost her in the late going, but she was still able to finish a clear second behind Spanish Pipedream.

◗ She ran well in back-to-back optional-claiming sprints on turf at Fair Grounds in December, earning a 67 Beyer in both starts.