Don't Leave Me returns to Polytrack in La Lorgnette
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – After a decisive score on turf in her most recent start, which came in the Grade 3 Ontario Colleen Stakes on Aug. 22, Don’t Leave Me will return to Polytrack for Sunday’s $125,000 La Lorgnette Stakes over 1 1/16 miles for 3-year-old fillies at Woodbine.
Don’t Leave Me rallied down the stretch to win the Ontario Colleen by 2 1/2 lengths over London Tower. Trainer Malcolm Pierce said he and jockey Eurico Da Silva were both pleased with the way Don’t Leave Me has been training ahead of the La Lorgnette.
“I think we’re on target, and we’re coming into the race in good order,” he said.
Pierce said he thought the timing of the La Lorgnette fit well for Don’t Leave Me’s future plans, which could include a trip to Keeneland for the Grade 3 Valley View Stakes on turf on Oct. 24, a race that is sponsored by Don’t Leave Me’s owner and breeder, Pin Oak Stable. Pierce trained another Pin Oak homebred, Overheard, to victory in the Valley View in 2013.
“This race is the right timing, and it looks like the right spot,” Pierce said. “It gets her another start at Woodbine.”
KEY CONTENDERS
Don’t Leave Me (Last 3 Beyers: 85-76-81)
◗ Along with being a graded stakes winner on the turf, Don’t Leave Me won the Grade 3 Bourbonette Oaks on Polytrack at Turfway Park in March. She also ran second in the Grade 3 Selene Stakes on Polytrack here in May and should prove extremely tough to beat in this field.
City Wells (Last 3 Beyers: 75-79-69)
◗ She was 4 1/2 lengths behind Don’t Leave Me in the Ontario Colleen in her most recent start. Her three starts this season have all been on the turf, but she did win on Polytrack over 6 1/2 furlongs as a 2-year-old last season.
Tippany (Last 3 Beyers: 77-67-58)
◗ She’s won both of her starts this year, both on synthetic at Presque Isle Downs.
◗ She will be making her stakes debut in this spot.
◗ As a 2-year-old she ran a close fourth to I’m a Chatterbox, a Grade 2 winner who was disqualified from an apparent victory in the Grade 1 Coaching Club American Oaks at Saratoga this summer.