Hazelbrook odds-on to get back on track in the Ontario Fashion

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Hazelbrook’s loss to Lady Speightspeare in the Grade 3 Seaway may have cost her the Sovereign Award for Canadian champion female sprinter, but it didn’t take away from her wonderful breakout season under the guidance of trainer Lorne Richards.

Hazelbrook should be odds-on in Saturday’s Grade 3, $150,000 Ontario Fashion at Woodbine. The six-furlong sprint attracted five other fillies and mares who don’t measure up to her on paper.

Hazelbrook won her 4-year-old debut in allowance company June 25 and then notched her first stakes a month later in the Grade 3 Hendrie. She got the hat trick in the Sweet Briar Too Stakes on Aug. 21 when negotiating the 6 1/2-furlong distance of the Hendrie, earning her second straight 88 Beyer Speed Figure in the process.

A quality cast was assembled for the seven-furlong Seaway on Sept. 17. Hazelbrook rallied four wide to finish a close second to 2020 Canadian champion 2-year-old filly Lady Speightspeare, with a career-best 89 Beyer. Left in her wake were Souper Sensational and Dreaming of Drew.

“She got a little worked up before the race,” Richards recalled. “There was a lot of activity in our barn that day with horses shipping in for the [Woodbine] Mile and stuff. It got her a little on edge, but she ran good against a salty bunch.

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“Hopefully, it will be a little quieter for her this time. She’s had some issues over the few years, but she’s had a pretty good run this past month, so hopefully, she’ll show up. She’s pretty genuine.”

From post 1, Jason Hoyte will ride Hazelbrook, the 125-pound highweight, who is owned by True North Stable.

Trainer Mark Casse sends out Beyond Mybudget and Moqadama.

Beyond Mybudget came up empty in the Seaway, but the inconsistent daughter of Munnings was previously second in the Sweet Briar Too after pressing a moderate pace.

Moqadama wasn’t an impact player in her last two outings, both going long against first-level allowance/optional-claiming opposition.

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The speedy Marie MacKay could shake loose up front in her first start with Patrick Husbands aboard.

A 3-year-old trained by Danny Vella, Marie MacKay graduated second time out at 2 in the Shady Well Stakes, but is winless in just three appearances this year. She faded to third in each of her last two outings, including the five-furlong Zadracarta Stakes for Ontario-breds on the inner turf.

Beat the System is making her second start off a $32,000 claim by owner-trainer Dale Desruisseaux. Normally a front-runner, she came from off the pace to win her last race in a conditioned allowance with a $50,000-claiming option.

Rounding out the field is Imagery, who was a half-length back when second in Beat the System’s Sept. 25 victory. She won her previous race with a $30,000 claiming tag in a five-furlong inner turf dash.

Post time is 1:20 p.m.

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