Can Fellowship Road do it again?

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Fellowship Road, coming off a career-best effort at the first allowance category, will try to take her sharp form to the next level in Friday's Woodbine feature. A field of eight fillies and mares was drawn for the optional $62,500 claimer, which will be run at six furlongs on the main track.

Fellowship Road, based at Fort Erie with trainer Brian Ross, has made each of her seven starts this year at the entry-level allowance condition. She nearly got the job done at Delaware Park Aug. 16, when she was beaten a neck after dueling on the lead. Fellowship Road looked like she was going to take her penultimate race early in the stretch, but a determined Sanfran dug in through the final sixteenth to prevail by a half-length.

Most recently, Sept. 22 over a speed-favoring track, she put away stakes-placed On Silent Wings on the front end and then drew off in the stretch for a five-furlong victory. Her time, 1:15.80 for 6 1/2 furlongs, got her a big Beyer Figure of 90.

Todd Kabel retains the mount on Fellowship Road, who will break from the undesirable post 1.

Other contenders in the lineup include Sanfran, Big Cheque, Shot Gun Ela, and Straightlittlelady.

Sanfran, a Japanese-bred 3-year-old by Forty Niner, has captured 3 of her last 5 outings. Trained by Laurie Silvera, she won back-to-back middle-priced claimers early in the summer before a dull try on the grass.

Sanfran earned a solid 86 Beyer when she defeated Fellowship Road Aug. 28. In her first start at the $62,500 class Sept. 23, she made most of the running before fading to third in deep stretch.

Big Cheque has run sporadically this year while winning 1 of 6 outings, the victory a $62,500 contest here in May. She has been sidelined since finishing a distant fifth July 17. Big Cheque will be ridden by Daniel David, who teamed up with Big Cheque's trainer, Abraham Katryan, to score with Lettherebejustice last Friday.

Shot Gun Ela had her four-race win streak end last time when she finished third in a six-furlong optional claimer on Aug. 27. She received her highest Beyer, an 88, when she won a seven-furlong allowance in July.

Woodbine's leading jockey, apprentice Emma Wilson, will ride Shot Gun Ela for trainer Ross Armata, a combination that is 3 for 14 at the meeting.

Straightlittlelady recorded a narrow victory over $62,500 claimers in her second start off a freshening Aug. 18, and was a close second at this level two weeks ago.