Ice Festival looks to break through in Carotene Stakes
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Ice Festival has finished second in three straight starts and will be looking to break through in Monday’s $150,000 Carotene Stakes for Ontario-bred 3-year-old fillies over 1 1/8 miles on turf.
Ice Festival’s run of second-place finishes began against open-allowance company on the grass July 1 and continued into her most recent stakes engagement in the Wonder Where Stakes on Aug. 9. Ice Festival has hit the board in seven of her 10 career starts, and trainer Brian Lynch is hopeful that she can get her second career victory and her first stakes win Monday.
“She’s a filly that’s a model of consistency,” he said. “There’s no complaints with her, and she’s coming into the race in great order. Maybe she’ll end up being a bride instead of a bridesmaid one of these days.”
In her most recent start on Polytrack on Sept. 19, Ice Festival pressured early pacesetter Pengally Bay and carried the lead into the stretch before being passed by Secret Action along the rail in the final sixteenth. Despite Ice Festival’s low 53 Beyer Speed Figure, Lynch said he was pleased with the effort.
“It was encouraging the way she ran that day,” he said. “A couple of her other Poly races were dull races, but the other day she did everything right. She put herself in the race, and when she kicked on for home, it looked like she was going to win it.”
Key Contenders
Ice Festival (Last 3 Beyers: 53-80-80)
◗ Lynch said this race is a good spot for Ice Festival. “I think it’s a great distance for her, and she gets back on the grass,” he said.
Conquest Strate Up (Last 3 Beyers: 85-69-77)
◗ Unbeaten in three career starts, Conquest Strate Up recorded her first stakes win in the La Prevoyante Stakes on Sept. 26 but will be returning in just two weeks.
◗ She’s been off slowly in all three of her starts, but her lack of gate speed hasn’t proved costly yet.
Moon Rainbow (Last 3 Beyers: 86-77-70)
◗ She rebounded nicely off a fourth-place effort in the Bison City Stakes with a win against open-allowance company over 1 1/16 miles on turf in her most recent start Aug. 29 and has been given time to prepare for her return to stakes company.
Dyna’s Recoleta (Last 3 Beyers: 77-76-76)
◗ She ran sixth in the Wonder Where Stakes as a maiden three starts back and exited that race to win her maiden on grass Aug. 28.
◗ She’ll get back on turf after a half-length defeat in the La Lorgnette Stakes on Sept. 20.