Clayton, Curlin's Voyage begin their 3-year-old seasons in separate stakes

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – The well-regarded Clayton and reigning Canadian champion 2-year-old filly Curlin’s Voyage will make their season debuts in separate stakes at Woodbine on Saturday.

Clayton will be among the favorites in the $100,000 Woodstock. The six-furlong sprint for 3-year-olds drew a field of eight, and for the Canadian-breds in the lineup it is an early prep for the Sept. 12 Queen’s Plate. Clayton fits the bill.

Clayton won his only start impressively on Nov. 17. Sent off as the favorite, he tracked the leaders before drawing off to win the five-furlong maiden special by 7 1/2 lengths, with an 88 Beyer Speed Figure.

“I honestly thought he’d just break out of the gate and go right to the front,” trainer Kevin Attard said. “That was the only surprise in the race, that he came from off the pace. I was happy with the way it turned out. I was hesitant about whether he’d relax or not, and he did that well.”

Clayton wintered in Florida. He got a freshening in Ocala before shipping to Gulfstream for a pair of breezes in March. He has worked four times locally on the Tapeta, including a half-mile in 48.60 last Saturday.

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“He’s been working pretty well,” Attard said. “I’m happy with the way he’s been training. He had a nice little blowout last weekend.”

The Mark Casse-trained Florida invader Untitled could vie for favoritism in the Woodstock. After Untitled romped in his Dec. 14 debut, owner Gary Barber bought into the colt. He subsequently finished fourth in the Grade 3 Swale and second in the Grade 3 Gotham.

Untitled dominated Florida-bred allowance opposition two back, but he’s coming off a flat fifth in an open allowance going a mile on the dirt.

Curlin’s Voyage gets started

Curlin’s Voyage returns in the six-furlong Star Shoot. She has been idle since a determined score here Dec. 8 in the 1 1/16-mile Ontario Lassie Stakes. She was previously fourth in the Oct. 26 Princess Elizabeth Stakes, three weeks after taking the Grade 3 Mazarine by disqualification.

The now-retired Eurico Da Silva rode Curlin’s Voyage in five of her six starts, and she is trained by Josie Carroll.

“She’s such a long-striding filly,” Da Silva said. “There’s no doubt she wants to go two turns. She’s the kind of horse you look for in the Queen’s Plate and Oaks. Sometimes, she can be a little nervous, but she’s a talented filly.”

An Ontario-bred by Curlin, Curlin’s Voyage is nominated to the Aug. 15 Woodbine Oaks and the Canadian Triple Crown.

The speedy Kentucky shipper Owlette should be favored in the $100,000 event, which lured 10 3-year-old fillies.

An Ontario-bred trained by Wesley Ward, Owlette won three in a row here last summer, including a pair of sprint stakes, the Shady Well and Victorian Queen. She went too fast up front and gave way late when second in the 1 1/16-mile South Ocean Stakes in her last race Nov. 16.