Hillaby should be forwardly placed in Bessarabian

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Hillaby will look to capture her first graded stakes when she takes on a strong field of 11 other fillies and mares in Sunday’s Grade 2, $200,000 Bessarabian Stakes at Woodbine.

The 4-year-old filly finished sixth in her stakes debut in the Avowal Stakes on turf two starts back but bounced back nicely on Polytrack in her last start Oct. 19, when she won a second-level optional claimer by 4 3/4 lengths.

“Going into [the Avowal], we thought she had trained good but not great, but we just wanted to get her going somewhere, so we ran her,” said trainer Mark Casse. “I thought her last race was powerful. The real Hillaby came out last time.”

Hillaby’s start in the Avowal Stakes was her first in 3 1/2 months after she was sold to Stonestreet Stables for $500,000 as part of the Eugene Melnyk dispersal at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky July sale in Lexington. Casse, who also trained Hillaby for Melnyk, said the sale process could have played a part in Hillaby’s performance in the Avowal.

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“She didn’t miss a whole lot of time, but when we got her back to Toronto, we were a little surprised at how unfit she was,” he said. “I do believe [the sale process] bothered her.”

But Casse said Hillaby is doing well heading into the Bessarabian and is coming into the race off a five-furlong breeze in 1:00.80 on the main track here Nov. 9.

“She breezed really well [Sunday] morning, so all systems are a go,” he said.

KEY CONTENDERS

Hillaby (Last 3 Beyers: 93-81-85)

◗ Hillaby likely will be forwardly placed and has shown an ability to run on in her two front-running victories against allowance company on Polytrack this season.

Native Bombshell (Last 3 Beyers: 87-83-61)

◗ Native Bombshell returned from a yearlong layoff to win the Grade 3 Ontario Fashion Stakes on Oct. 19 and will debut for new connections in the Bessarabian after being sold for $700,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky select fall mixed sale Nov. 3.

Disco Barbie (Last 3 Beyers: 86-89-84)

◗ Disco Barbie was able to find another gear in the stretch in the Ontario Fashion after encountering traffic trouble through the turn, but she couldn’t get by Native Bombshell in the final strides.

Pirate’s Trove (Last 3 Beyers: 69-92-79)

◗ Pirate’s Trove is unbeaten in three starts on Polytrack and has already won the Duchess and Etobicok