Dixie Law, Bold Time square off in Selene

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Dixie Law and Bold Time will prep for the $500,000 Woodbine Oaks in Saturday’s Grade 3, $150,000 Selene at 1 1/16 miles on Tapeta. They are the protagonists in the seven-horse field, and Dixie Law should be favored.

Trained by Dale Desruisseaux for Hillsbrook Farms, Dixie Law was among the leading 2-year-olds in Canada last year, during which she won the Grade 3 Mazarine and the restricted Cup and Saucer Stakes.

Dixie Law got the winter off after a surprisingly flat fourth in the Nov. 29 Coronation Futurity, in which she bled. She added Lasix for her May 16 season opener in the seven-furlong Ruling Angel Stakes, during which she rallied between rivals to win by a nose with an 86 Beyer Speed Figure.

Sprinting “isn’t really what she wants to do,” Desruisseaux said. “For her to get up, I was quite pleased. I think the Lasix really helped her.”

Dixie Law worked evenly with the unbeaten Marine Stakes entrant Yoshii on June 17, covering five-eighths in 1:00 before galloping out three-quarters in 1:13.40.

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“I thought it was a good work,” Desruisseaux said.

Bold Time, after graduating second time out at 2, faded to fifth after setting slow fractions in the Mazarine. She was a troubled fourth in her season opener in allowance company on the grass at Keeneland, then beat older allowance rivals decisively from off the pace here most recently on Tapeta.

“We’ve always had high hopes for her,” said Chiefswood Stables general manager Robert Landry. “She broke her maiden going long and when we ran her back in the Mazarine she probably wasn’t ready for that. Then we gave her some time, turned her out, and she’s really blossomed.”

Landry was duly impressed with Bold Time’s recent score, for which she received an 83 Beyer.

“We were expecting a big race from her and she did everything professionally,” Landry recalled. “To run that way and not having everything your own way [is encouraging], especially when you’re thinking Oaks. It gives you another option on how to ride her.”

Also entered in the seven-horse field are Oaks nominees Luster, Katie’s Grace, and Lake Louise, along with Tulip and Classic Move.

Josie Carroll trains Bold Time and Luster, who romped in each of her first two starts on the grass before ending up third as the 2-5 favorite in the Ruling Angel.

Trainer Mark Casse sends out Classic Move and Lake Louise.

Classic Move graduated in her penultimate race, going long on Tapeta at Gulfstream Park, and is coming off a third there in the one-mile Honey Ryder Stakes on the grass.

The supplemented Lake Louise rode a live rail in her front-running maiden score going 1 1/16 miles here May 23.

Katie’s Grace is extending to a favorable distance off an even fourth in the seven-furlong Fury Stakes. She was third in the Mazarine before ending up second against Canadian-breds in the Nov. 29 Princess Elizabeth Stakes.

The Will Walden-trained Kentucky shipper Tulip is making her first Tapeta start off a nine-furlong maiden special score on the grass at Churchill Downs.

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