Hillaby makes second start following layoff in Seaway

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Hillaby seems ready to put her best hoof forward on Saturday at Woodbine in the $150,000 Seaway Stakes, a seven-furlong sprint that lured a top-notch group of fillies and mares.

Hillaby won the Sovereign Award as Canada’s champion female sprinter in 2014, during which she won four of five starts, including the Grade 2 Bessarabian Stakes in November.

Hillaby had been idle for 7 1/2 months when she was favored July 1 in the Sweet Briar Too Stakes. After breaking awkwardly from the outside that day, she battled wide for the lead with Endless Light before giving way late to finish a lapped-on second.

Trainer Mark Casse said he was pleased with Hillaby’s return to action.

“I thought it was very good, and she has trained great into this race,” Casse said.

The Grade 3 Seaway is the eighth race on an extended 11-race card.

KEY CONTENDERS

Hillaby (Last 3 Beyers: 93-95-96)

The only time she missed the board was a sixth-place finish last September in the Avowal Stakes, which came after she was sold for $500,000 to Stonestreet Stable.

Pirate’s Trove (Last 3 Beyers: 82-69-95)

The imposing comebacker took Woodbine by storm last year, winning the Duchess and Etobicoke stakes. Her victory in the Sept. 1 Etobicoke was particularly impressive, but she wasn’t a factor in two subsequent races in the United States before going to the sidelines.

She has worked bullets over Arlington’s Polytrack for the successful layoff trainer Mike Stidham.

Cactus Kris (Last 3 Beyers: 81-86-83)

The Presque Isle Downs shipper crossed the wire on top in each of her last three races, a streak that began when she took the Ruling Angel Stakes for 3-year-olds here in October. She was demoted from first to third by disqualification May 25 in an allowance with no conditions at Presque Isle, where on June 14 she won the Satin and Lace Stakes in a gutsy display.

Endless Light (Last 3 Beyers: 95-76-72)

After back-to-back seconds on grass, the English import took to the Polytrack like a duck to water in the seven-furlong Sweet Briar Too. She’s worked regularly in the interim, and it will be interesting to see if she can duplicate that career-best performance in this tougher spot. Leading rider Eurico Da Silva replaces the absent Emma-Jayne Wilson.

Marbre Rose (Last 3 Beyers: 93-90-91)

The Christophe Clement-trained turf expert from New York lost her last start at Belmont in the Perfect Sting Stakes by a nose to Daring Kathy.