Financingavailable finds a spot

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Financingavailable heads a quality field of 10 fillies and mares in Saturday's six-furlong $125,000 Ontario Fashion Stakes at Woodbine.

Financingavailable, last year's champion older female in Canada, has put together another solid campaign this year, winning 4 of 6 starts for earnings of $352,940. Her two losses were both runner-up placings in stakes during the summer.

Trainer Lorne Richards has opted to run Financingavailable in the Fashion instead of next Saturday's 1 1/4-mile Maple Leaf Stakes because it will give her three weeks' rest heading into her next start, the seven-furlong Bessarabian Stakes. She carries 124 pounds on Saturday.

"She'd have to pack 126 pounds in the Maple Leaf," Richards said. "Plus, we'd have to come back into the Bessarabian in 14 days. I think that would be asking too much. We want to run her next year. Timing-wise, this works out better. I want to space her races out as best I can."

Richards is content with the way Financingavailable has trained up to the Fashion.

"She's been doing good," Richards said. "She goes out and does what she has to do. Sometimes, she's hard to read because she doesn't let anything bother her. She was a little off her game in the summer, but the cooler weather seems to have helped her a lot. I expect her to show up and run her regular race."

Count to Three, who finished second in the 2006 Fashion, is winless in six starts at the meeting. She wound up second to Roving Angel in the allowance prep for the Fashion.

"She was in the 1-hole that day, and I think that worked to her disadvantage," trainer Mark Frostad said. "She's doing great. She's been training as well as last year. She's just not quite getting there. She runs on either surface, but she's probably better on the turf."

Roving Angel rebounded from a dull display in the Grade 3 Seaway Stakes with an impressive score in the prep, in which she lacked room in the stretch before closing strongly in the final furlong.

Executive Flight has chased Financingavailable home on four occasions this year, most recently when second in the Classy 'N Smart Stakes.

Shot Gun Ela led throughout the 2006 Fashion. She has only managed a pair of third-place finishes in her two starts this year.

La Salle Glory is coming off two straight victories in optional claimers on turf and the Polytrack. She could hook up with Shot Gun Ela on the front end.