Canoodling, Madone ones to beat in Del Mar Juvenile Fillies Turf
On opposite ends of the July 31 program at Del Mar, Canoodling and Madone won maiden special weight races on turf in performances as attractive as can be expected from 2-year-old first-time starters.
Canoodling closed from sixth of seven in a five-furlong race to win by 2 1/4 lengths in the second race. Madone won a maiden race at a mile by a length, closing from sixth of nine in the eighth race.
Those wins make Canoodling and Madone the focus of bettors in Sunday’s $75,000 Del Mar Juvenile Fillies Turf at a mile. They face a field that includes three European imports, two other maiden race winners in recent weeks, and four maidens.
Canoodling, trained by Jeff Mullins for B-4 Farms, worked steadily, and sometimes quickly, on turf through August. Mullins said the longer trip in the Juvenile Fillies Turf should work in favor of Canoodling, a patient filly who will be ridden by Juan Hernandez.
“I don’t think it will be a problem,” he said. “She’s easy to deal with and I think she’s got a good mind.”
Madone, trained by Simon Callaghan for Kaleem Shah, worked on turf twice in the second half of August. Madone drew post 2 in the field of 11, which should help her stalking style. A repeat of her debut would put her close on Sunday, Callaghan said.
“I think she’s got a good post,” Callaghan said. “I think if she runs back to that race she’ll be live. The new shooters are unknown.”
The Juvenile Fillies Turf will be the first start in the United States for Inner Beauty, Nimbostratus, and Tetragonal.
Inner Beauty was fourth in two group stakes at six furlongs in Ireland in July. She was last of four, beaten 2 1/2 lengths, in the Group 2 Balanchine Stakes at the Curragh on July 19. Race winner Aloha Star was 33-1 that day and returned to finish third in the Group 1 Phoenix Stakes in Ireland on Aug. 9.
Tetragonal should have no trouble with her first start at a mile. She won a maiden race on Aug. 4 at 7 1/2 furlongs at Beverley Racecourse in northern England, a track with a stout uphill finish.
Nimbostratus, a maiden race winner in Ireland, is one of three fillies in the field trained by Peter Miller. The maidens Basilia and My Princess Ellie are trained by Miller and were supplemented for $750 when entries were taken on Thursday.
The maiden Ivy League will draw attention. Trained by Richard Mandella, Ivy League was second to Madone as the 3-2 favorite on July 31, losing by a length after racing within a head of the front in the stretch.