'Financing' in top form

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - A razor-sharp Financingavailable will be favored to win her first stakes Sunday at Woodbine in the $160,350 Jammed Lovely, a seven-furlong race which attracted six Canadian-bred 3-year-old fillies.

Financingavailable was second in the Ontario Damsel here July 10, and was bought privately by owner K. K. Sangara from owner-trainer Mark Casse later this summer.

In her first start for Sangara and trainer Lorne Richards, Financingavailable gave favored Blonde Executive a run for her money in the La Prevoyante Stakes, battling all the way on the lead before succumbing by a neck.

Financingavailable subsequently won a grass allowance, and then reaffirmed that she could handle the dirt by posting an easy front-running victory in another Ontario-sired allowance on Oct. 20.

Richards said he had been following Financingavailable before arranging her purchase.

"I watched her a little when Casse had her, and I liked her," Richards recalled. "She's a decent-looking horse, and he's always willing to sell, so we worked something out.

"She's turned out pretty nice. She's kind of a nervous filly, but she seems to have settled down a bit, maybe because of being in a smaller barn with less going on."

Richards believes that Financingavailable is equally adept on either surface.

"She seems like a horse who runs over anything," Richards said. "She's got the tools. She moves too good not to be a nice horse. She gets from A to B with a lot less effort than it takes most of them."

Flashy Anna, a one-eyed filly trained by Debbie England, could be the main challenger.

After running for as little as a $20,000 claiming tag as a 2-year-old, Flashy Anna has banked $174,503 this year, with four wins and a second in nine starts.

Flashy Anna finished second to Blonde Executive in the Passing Mood Stakes on the grass in July, and was victorious in her two most recent main-track outings, both in allowance company. In fact, she is unbeaten in three dirt starts at seven furlongs.

England said Flashy Anna required lots of racing experience before coming into her own.

"She's a big, tall filly, and she just needed some racing," England said. "Having the one eye required a little bit of adjustment."

England was pleased with the way Flashy Anna worked five furlongs recently.

"She worked in 1:01 and change," England said. "She's doing great. She's a lovely filly."