Curlin's Voyage back to two turns in Woodbine Oaks
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – A total of five stakes will be run over Woodbine’s 11-race card Saturday, highlighted by a pair of Queen’s Plate preps in the $500,000 Woodbine Oaks and $150,000 Plate Trial Stakes. Both races are for Canadian-bred 3-year-olds over 1 1/8 miles on Tapeta.
The Woodbine Oaks, which is restricted to fillies, features a deep 10-horse field led by Canada’s champion 2-year-old filly of 2019, Curlin’s Voyage. The Oaks will be Curlin’s Voyage’s first start around two turns this season, following a runner-up finish in the Star Shoot Stakes over six furlongs on June 13 and a win in the Fury Stakes over seven furlongs in her most recent start July 5. Curlin’s Voyage did win a pair of stakes around two turns last season, including a victory over Woodbine Oaks rival Merveilleux in the Ontario Lassie Stakes and a win by disqualification in the Grade 3 Mazarine Stakes.
“I think we’ve always thought that this was a very special filly from her 2-year-old debut, where she showed a great deal of promise,” trainer Josie Carroll said. “This year with the abbreviated season, it’s been a little difficult training into the Oaks. We haven’t had the opportunity to run her around two turns yet, but it’s certainly what she is bred to do and wants to do, so I’m pretty confident that we’re going in in good shape.”
Merveilleux, meanwhile, will be looking to rebound following a fourth-place finish in the Grade 3 Selene Stakes on July 25.
“She was going in there with some high expectations,” trainer Kevin Attard said. “Her first race of the season was good, and we expected her to move a little bit forward and do a little bit better in the Selene, which unfortunately didn’t transpire. The race was oddly run. The pace wasn’t as hot as everybody anticipated. We had a wide trip, so I think that kind of hurt my filly a bit.”
Attard said Merveilleux will be adding blinkers for the Oaks. She wore them in her six-furlong work in 1:13.00 on Aug. 8.
“She seems to be a bit more relaxed with them on, so I’m comfortable heading into this kind of race with the equipment change,” he said.
Merveuilleux is one of three fillies in the field for Attard, who also will send out Afleet Katherine and Bayou Belle. Bayou Belle, a recent maiden winner, was supplemented to the race to ensure Merveuilleux has some pace to run at.
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“Obviously, she has a job to do,” Attard said. “Sometimes horses are rabbits and they’re left alone and they end up stealing the race. We would be more than happy to see that happen as well. It’s a big step up in class for her, but she’s out there to do a certain job.”
Other key contenders for the Oaks include Lasting Union and Infinite Patience. Lasting Union will ship up to Woodbine off of back-to-back victories, including a 12-length score in an allowance on July 22 at Delaware Park. Infinite Patience, meanwhile, was a close third in the Fury Stakes in what was her seasonal debut following five starts at Hastings Park as a 2-year-old last season.
In the Plate Trial, Halo Again will look to capture his third stakes win over the Woodbine Tapeta, following victories in last season’s Coronation Futurity and in the Queenston Stakes on July 4. Luis Contreras will take over in the irons on Halo Again for Rafael Hernandez, who has opted to ride Clayton for Attard. Clayton comes into the Plate Trial off of a dominant allowance score on July 18 in which he earned an 88 Beyer Speed Figure.
Trainer Sid Attard has entered three horses in the Plate Trial, including Elusive Knight, Dotted Line, and Northern Thunder. Elusive Knight and Northern Thunder both exit the same July 18 allowance, a race in which they both broke slowly. Elusive Knight rallied to be second behind Clayton, while Northern Thunder was fourth, beaten 12 lengths. Dotted Line, meanwhile, was fifth in the Queenston Stakes and finished third behind Shirl’s Speight in the Grade 3 Marine Stakes on July 25.
Rounding out the Plate Trial field is Glorious Tribute, who finished third behind Halo Again in the Queenston Stakes and was most recently fifth in the Marine.
With good performances Saturday, a number of these horses could run back in the 161st running of the $1 million Queen’s Plate on Sept. 12 at Woodbine.