'Deputy' gets test at route

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Deputy Cures Blues will test her skill around two turns on Wednesday at Woodbine in the South Ocean Stakes, a $132,625 race for Ontario-sired 2-year-old fillies.

Deputy Cures Blues graduated with authority in her first start, against a quality field of $50,000 maidens Aug. 31. She ran an even better race three weeks later in a six-furlong allowance, coming from off the pace to win by a neck in 1:11.20, a time that earned her an 81 Beyer Speed Figure.

Most recently on Oct. 2, in the six-furlong Victorian Queen Stakes, Deputy Cures Blues closed steadily over a speed-favoring track to finish second to Miss Crissy, who subsequently won the Fanfreluche Stakes.

Deputy Cures Blues worked five-eighths of a mile over the main track in 1:00 last week for trainer Tino Attard, who pointed out that she is built more like a router than a sprinter.

"She's a tall, long, good-looking filly," Attard said. "She should be able to go long."

Also entered in the 1 1/16-mile South Ocean are Fritzy Hour, Fancy Drinks, Good Knight Story, Piersixer, Santerra, Bit Shee Believer, and Melting Point.

Santerra should be a formidable opponent off her recent third-place finish in the $250,000 Princess Elizabeth Stakes. She got hung out five wide on the clubhouse turn in that 1 1/16-mile test for Canadian-breds, and stalked the pace before weakening to finish six lengths behind the winner.

Santerra drew the widest post in an eight-horse field in the Princess Elizabeth, which led to her undesirable trip, according to trainer Mike Mattine.

"The post didn't help," Mattine said. "If she had had a better post, and if she didn't lose so much ground on the first turn, she could have been a lot closer. She still ran a good race. It was a tough spot. She faced some nice fillies, but she showed she could compete with them. She came out of it good, and this [easier spot] is an opportunity we don't want to turn down. She should be tough with this group, if she gets a good post and if everything goes right."

Santerra won her maiden in her previous race, the Muskoka Stakes, a seven-furlong dash for graduates of local yearling sales.

Fritzy Hour and Good Knight Story are both coming off solid efforts around two turns.

Fritzy Hour saved ground, tracking the pace en route to a second-place finish in a preliminary allowance. Good Knight Story raced wide to beat $32,000 maidens.

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