Coy Coyote live for Dickinson

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Trainer Michael Dickinson's Maryland shippers rarely misfire when they come to Woodbine, and he appears to have a solid contender in Coy Coyote in Saturday's $125,000 La Lorgnette Stakes for 3-year-old fillies.

Coy Coyote has raced three times this year, all on the dirt. She was second to Exchanging Fire in her Juneo23 season opener at Monmouth in the Without Feathers Stakes, and was subsequently sixth in the Gradeo1 Coaching Club American Oaks at Belmont.

Coy Coyote rebounded most recently in the 1 1/16-mile Go for Wand Stakes, finishing a narrowly beaten second after rallying from the back of the pack.

Hetta Steele, an assistant to Dickinson, was enthused about Coy Coyote's last start, and said the filly has trained well heading into La Lorgnette.

"She ran a great race for us last time at Delaware," said Steele. "She was a bit unlucky. She was boxed in and couldn't quite catch the winner. She came out of it great and has been working extremely well on the Tapeta. We're very happy with her."

Coy Coyote won both of her starts on Polytrack here last year, a six-furlong allowance and the 1 1/16-mile Mazarine Breeders' Cup Stakes. But she received a lowly 64 Beyer Speed Figure for winning the Grade 3 Mazarine.

Dance to My Tune and Serenading are both coming off a strong showing against older stakes opponents.

Dance to My Tune finished second to favored Arden Belle in the Sept. 3 Algoma, a month after her runner-up finish in the Assiniboia Oaks.

Trainer Dave Cotey said Dance to My Tune had a good trip in the Oaks.

"She was sitting in perfect contention the whole way, and just got outgunned by the horse who was on the engine," Cotey recalled. "She ran a really decent race in her next start. When she pulled alongside Arden Belle in the stretch, I thought she was going to win it, but maybe Arden Belle was just playing possum.

Cotey believes Dance to My Tune is poised for another competitive performance.

"She's had three weeks off," he said. "I didn't work her because I didn't think she needed it. She's a small filly. She tries in every race that she runs in."

Serenading, a beautifully bred daughter of A.P. Indy, wound up third to a peaking Arden Belle when making her stakes debut in the Aug.o19 Belle Mahone. She won each of her three previous races, including two allowances.