Crumlin Spirit likely to run next in Fury

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Crumlin Spirit stamped herself as a contender for the $500,000 Woodbine Oaks here on June 12 by upsetting Caren in last Sunday’s Lady Angela Stakes, earning a career-best 87 Beyer Speed Figure.

Trainer Mike Doyle said he will target the $150,000 Fury Stakes over seven furlongs for Canadian-bred 3-year-old fillies on May 22 for Crumlin Spirit but added that he will keep his eye open for a race going two turns.

“She’s doing great, and she seems to have come out of the race very well,” he said. “If everything’s okay, I’m going to run her in the Fury. If I can find another way to get to the Woodbine Oaks that’s not the Fury, maybe some kind of allowance race going a mile and a sixteenth, I may do that and run in an easier spot if I can.”

The Lady Angela was Crumlin Spirit’s second win in her last three starts, following a maiden win last November. Despite taking seven starts to win her maiden, Crumlin Spirit showed promise as a 2-year-old, running second in three stakes, including twice behind Caren.

“We were getting tired of Caren beating us every time we ran,” Doyle said. “When [Crumlin Spirit] ran her first start, we loved her, and she just didn’t win. The [Shady Well] stakes came back a little bit quick, and you’re inclined to do it. She was nice and sound and had no shin problems. We ran her, and she was second there, and that led to another one, and she was second again. It just kind of went that way.”

After a busy 2-year-old campaign in which she made seven starts, Crumlin Spirit spent the winter where she was foaled, at Windhaven Farm in Caledon, Ontario.

“She needed a break,” Doyle said. “She went to Windhaven, where she spent her whole life. It’s a fabulous place. They did a beautiful job with her, and she came in nice and happy, so she was easy to go on with.”

Doyle has three other fillies nominated to the Woodbine Oaks. Garavogue Colleen was second in her seasonal debut in an Ontario-sired allowance on April 22 and could run in the Grade 3 Selene Stakes over 1 1/16 miles here next Sunday. However, Doyle said it was more likely that she will run in an allowance race.

Doyle was hopeful that a third potential Oaks prospect could emerge this weekend among his two other nominees, as Dublin Diva was scheduled to run in an allowance race Saturday and Leroy’s Princess was to run in a maiden race Sunday.