Favored Kentucky shipper Takemetothebeach in for optional tag
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ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Kentucky-based trainer Joe Sharp, who began the Woodbine meet by winning with two of his first three starters, ships in Takemetothebeach for Friday’s feature. The stakes-placed 5-year-old should be favored in the 1 1/16-mile conditioned allowance for fillies and mares, which has a $50,000 claiming option.
Sharp lost Takemetothebeach for $40,000 when she finished a close third over Turfway Park’s Tapeta in January. After another third going a mile there in February, he reclaimed her for $40,000 on March 26 when she was a slow-starting fourth in a sprint experiment. She was softened up in an early speed duel most recently when fourth as the favorite in a $50,000 claimer on the grass at Churchill Downs.
Rafael Hernandez rides Takemetothebeach, who wound up second in a Saratoga stakes at 2 after landing her debut on the Tapeta at Presque Isle.
Takemetothebeach, who competes for the $50,000 tag, has a decided fitness edge on her four rivals – War Painter, War Signal, Fortyfiveseventy, and Zealous Moon.
The Kevin Attard-trained 5-year-old War Painter has four wins, including two restricted stakes, the Victorian Queen at 2 and the Ashbridges Bay at 3.
War Painter banked $152,626 Canadian last year while winning 1 of 8 starts. That victory came in an open first-level allowance on the inner turf in August, after which she ran third in a conditioned allowance and then fourth in the Eternal Search Stakes. She has been idle since ending up second to favored Hurricane Clair in the Dec. 13 La Prevoyante Stakes for Ontario-sired stock.
Fraser Aebly, aboard for War Painter’s Ashbridges Bay score, has the mount Friday.
Off an extended layoff April 25, War Signal ran against a speed bias when fourth in a 6 1/2-furlong sprint at this level, which was dominated by her Mark Casse-trained stablemate Shifty. She was stakes-placed two years ago at 2 and was only beaten two lengths when sixth against males in last year’s Grade 3 Marine.
Pietro Moran, who has a 20-17 lead in the rider standings over Hernandez, retains the mount on War Signal for Gary Barber, the Sovereign Award-winning owner in 2023 and 2024.
Fortyfiveseventy is starting for the first time since a distant third behind Hurricane Clair in a race at this level that was moved from turf to the Tapeta in July. Perhaps the highlight of her career was a nose loss to Fashionably Fab in the 2024 La Prevoyante.
Ryan Munger has the call on Fortyfiveseventy for owner-trainer Barbara Minshall, who has excellent numbers with six-month-plus comebackers.
Zealous Moon won an allowance over Gulfstream Park’s Tapeta early last year when she was trained by Riley Mott, who also sent her out to finish sixth in the 2025 Bourbonette Oaks at Turfway. She was moved to local trainer Sean Smullen last fall and finished third and fourth at this level before getting an extended break.
Pietro Moran’s father, David Moran, will ride Zealous Moon for the 2025 Sovereign Award-winning owner and breeder Chiefswood Stables.
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