Carroll has pair of Woodbine Oaks hopefuls

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Trainer Josie Carroll emerged from the weekend with two serious Woodbine Oaks contenders, reigning Canadian champion 2-year-old filly Curlin’s Voyage and Avie’s Samurai.

Curlin’s Voyage rallied along the rail for second behind the speedy favorite Owlette in the six-furlong Star Shoot Stakes, earning a career-high 87 Beyer Speed Figure. Earlier on the Saturday program, Avie’s Samurai won a seven-furlong allowance by 4 3/4 lengths with an 85 Beyer. Both were returning from six-month layoffs.

“I was really happy,” Carroll said. “I knew it would be a little short for Curlin’s Voyage. We needed to get her started if we’re headed to the Oaks. We nominated Avie’s Samurai to the Oaks. We thought at the beginning of this year that she was an improving filly. She ran well last year, but she really matured over the winter.”

The $500,000 Woodbine Oaks, a nine-furlong event for Canadian-bred sophomore fillies, is on Aug. 15. There are two local stakes preps for it, the seven-furlong Fury for Canadian-breds on July 5 and the Grade 3 Selene at a 1 1/16 miles July 25.

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“If they both fit one, they’ll both go to one,” Carroll said. “If not, we’ll split them up. It just depends on what suits each individual.”

Carroll said her unbeaten Queen’s Plate nominee Corsi is sidelined after a training accident in early April and is out indefinitely.

“He was galloping on the main track and a horse ran into the side of him,” Carroll said. “He fractured his shoulder. It was pretty frightening, but fortunately he survived it. He’s in rehab. It was really disappointing. I thought he was a genuine Plate horse.”

DePaulo eyeing Queenston

Trainer Mike DePaulo got off to a promising start at the meet with the maiden winners Ennis the Menace and Golden Wave. Both are possibilities for the July 4 Queenston Stakes, a seven-furlong prep for the Sept. 12 Queen’s Plate.

Ennis the Menace came along the rail from a stalking position in a professional manner June 7 to win his five-furlong debut gamely with an 84 Beyer.

“He had a little setback last year and he came back good,” DePaulo said. “He ran dynamite. It looked like he was beat, and he kicked on.”

DePaulo spent five months during the winter and spring at Gulfstream, where Golden Wave was beaten in double digits in each of his first two races on the dirt. Golden Wave graduated in a seven-furlong maiden special with a 78 Beyer last Saturday on the Tapeta.

“I thought that horse was good as I’ve had in a very long time,” DePaulo said. “He never showed up at Gulfstream. I didn’t think there’s a surface he wouldn’t handle, but obviously he didn’t like the dirt.”