Jacally, Dancing Raven meet again in La Prevoyante

ETOBICOKE, Ontario − Jacally and Dancing Raven will renew their rivalry Saturday at Woodbine in the $125,000 La Prevoyante Stakes, a one-mile turf event for Ontario-sired 3-year-old fillies.

Jacally has won two of her three meetings with Dancing Raven, who won the first meeting by a nose in a seven-furlong allowance July 1. Jacally subsequently captured the Passing Mood Stakes on the grass July 21, in which she overcame traffic problems in the stretch to prevail over favored Princess Chelsea and Dancing Raven. A month later, she won her second Ontario-sired stakes in a row, the Eternal Search on Polytrack, leaving Dancing Raven in her wake.

Trainer Roger Attfield said he had other options for Jacally last weekend but opted for the La Prevoyante because of the timing.

“I could have run her in the yearling sales stakes, but I’ve used her pretty hard,” Attfield said. “This race is for the same money at the same distance, and I get an extra week.”

Leading rider Eurico Da Silva stays aboard Jacally, who is the 120-pound highweight in the eight-horse field.

Dancing Raven rallied from the trailing position to win her debut by 2 1/2 lengths June 9. Three weeks later, she defeated Jacally in the July 1 allowance after pressing a tepid pace while wide over an outside-biased track.

In her only turf attempt, in the seven-furlong Passing Mood, Dancing Raven made up ground on the outside to finish third under Chantal Sutherland.

“I thought she ran well, and she was trying to finish,” trainer Mike Doyle said.

Dancing Raven had an inside stalking trip near pacemaker Jacally in the 1 1/16-mile Eternal Search and seemed headed for victory in mid-stretch, but Jacally dug in and won by a neck.

Sutherland, who was riding at Del Mar the day of the Eternal Search, has the mount.

Venus Bay drifted out exiting the far turn while making a wide bid in the Eternal Search and then came on belatedly for third. She was previously an easy maiden winner going 1 1/4 miles.

In her lone grass start, Venus Bay closed from far back to end up fourth in a seven-furlong maiden special May 29. This will be her first race with blinkers.

Jesters Jazz has been idle since taking the May 24 Lady Angela Stakes on Polytrack.