Flipcup back with Ontario-sired fillies in Eternal Search
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – After a productive stint in New York, Flipcup returns to Woodbine for Saturday’s $125,000 Eternal Search Stakes, a 1 1/16-mile test for Ontario-sired 3-year-old fillies.
Flipcup is a rare New York-bred by an Ontario sire, Milwaukee Brew, who’s also the sire of two other runners in the six-horse field, Wild Catomine and Sweater Weather.
Flipcup won her first two starts last fall before ending up third behind the talented duo of Lexie Lou and Paladin Bay in the Nov. 24 South Ocean Stakes here on Polytrack. She went on to take the East View Stakes over Aqueduct’s inner track, where she also ran second in the Jan. 4 Busanda Stakes before getting the remainder of the winter off.
Flipcup resurfaced in May with her third trainer, Bill Mott, who sent her out to capture her last race over a speed-favoring track in the July 12 New York Oaks at Finger Lakes.
Eternal Search Stakes, Race 8
KEY CONTENDERS
Flipcup (Last 3 Beyers: 76-75-72)
◗ Her versatility is admirable, and the Beyer Speed Figure she got for finishing third in last season’s South Ocean (74) is comparable to the numbers she has earned this year.
◗ Hall-of-Famer Mott had lots of success at Woodbine in the past, but he’s winless here since 2010.
Wild Catomine (Last 3 Beyers: 55-84-81)
◗ She won the Fury Stakes before a front-running second in the Woodbine Oaks to Lexie Lou, who came back to take the Queen’s Plate.
◗ She was softened up in a speed duel with the eventual winner, Unspurned, before fading as the favorite in the July 13 Bison City Stakes.
“She went too fast,” said David Adams, trainer Mark Casse’s main Woodbine assistant. “She came out of the race fine. She’s doing really good.”
Sweater Weather (Last 3 Beyers: 59-79-67)
◗ She dropped a nose decision two back in the Lady Angela Stakes before tanking as the short-priced favorite in an Ontario-sired allowance June 29.
“Her last race was disappointing, but her previous race was awesome,” said trainer Bob Tiller. “She seems to be in good order.”
On Rainbow Bridge (Last 3 Beyers: 50-79-69)
◗ The Lady Angela winner has made her mark as a closing sprinter on Polytrack and is exiting a dreadful performance in the July 19 Ontario Damsel Stakes, a one-turn mile on turf. Trainer Dave Cotey said she hated the turf that day and is concerned that she might not be at her best around two turns.