ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Trainer Kevin Attard won back-to-back runnings of the $500,000 Woodbine Oaks with Munnyfor Ro and Moira in 2021-22. He will take a strength-in-numbers approach into Saturday’s renewal of the 1 1/8-mile event with the quintet of War Painter, Caitlinhergrtness, Inudation, My Girl Della, and Vucchella. Victorious in the 2023 Victorian Queen Stakes, War Painter shed her hanging tendencies while beating Ontario-sired allowance company on the stretch-out to a route June 6 under the now-departed Kazushi Kimura. Following back-to-back impressive works, including one with champion Moira, War Painter breezed an easy half-mile in 50.40 seconds last Saturday under Emma-Jayne Wilson. “It was the first time I sat on her,” Wilson said. “It was just a comfortable breeze – get her to finish on. Kevin’s instructions were to get her to sit in behind them and don’t do anything too aggressive. It was good.” Caitlinhergrtness won her first start for Attard in a 7 1/2-furlong allowance around two turns on the inner turf here July 6. “She is extremely versatile in her ability to run well on different surfaces and distances,” Attard said. “She ran a great one last time out and even though it’s a short time between races, she has given us every indication she can step up once again.” Inudation, victorious over War Painter in the Nov. 25 Princess Elizabeth Stakes, had been idle for seven months when seventh in her June 22 season opener in an allowance route. “We were hoping to build off her great rookie season, and it hasn’t gone as we anticipated,” Attard noted. “That said, we did lose some time with her. She has the ability and the skills to come up with a big one on Saturday.” :: 2024 King's Plate: Get odds, comments, analysis, and news for the 165th running of the King's Plate at Woodbine My Girl Della graduated two back in front-running fashion and is coming off a wide, closing fourth against older allowance rivals. “I thought her maiden win was very professional,” Attard said. “Her latest race was okay, and we think she can definitely improve off that one.” Vucchella is a maiden with four in-the-money finishes to her credit from six starts for the connections of Moira. “It would not be a surprise at all to see her come up big in the Oaks,” Attard said. “She looks like she could have a bright future.” Kin’s Concerto has the look of a major player while attempting to give Chiefswood Stables a second Oaks triumph. She had traffic problems along the inside before surging late to just miss in a June 2 allowance route. “I think she’s really live,” Chiefswood general manager Robert Landry said. “I’ll be very disappointed if she’s not in the top three. She’s been training phenomenal. With a little better trip, she arguably could have won her last race. If she had gotten that room a little sooner, it might have made the difference. I thought [Sofia Vives] rode her well. It was just racing luck.” Trainer Marty Drexler is excited about the chances of Hurricane Clair, who graduated in the rich Muskoka Stakes at 2. She dusted Ontario-sired allowance opposition going long on the inner turf in her second race off the sidelines June 23. “The way she trains, the farther the better,” Drexler said. “I think being on the synthetic is even better for her. She’s so good right now.” Lunch With Bernie, fresh off a distant third in the Fury Stakes on June 8, has been keeping tough company in the mornings. She worked head-and-head with her Mark Casse-trained stablemate My Boy Prince twice this month and galloped out in front of the reigning Canadian champion male 2-year-old, breezing five-eighths in 59.60 on July 3. “If you watch her train, you would think she’d win the Oaks,” Casse said. “When I had her in Ocala this winter, I thought she could win it, but I’ve been a little disappointed with her.” Ba Dee Yah, based at Saratoga with trainer Tom Amoss, has stuck to the dirt since last summer and notched a stakes three starts ago at Fair Grounds. Her lack of a race or work on Tapeta is a negative but her sire, Uncle Mo, has yielded a good 18 percent winners in synthetic routes. Fifteen were entered, including also-eligible Beautiful Sky, who was cross-entered in the Plate Trial Stakes. The Oaks is the first leg of the Canadian Triple Tiara for Canadian-bred 3-year-old fillies. It will be followed by the $250,000 Bison City Stakes on Aug. 10 and concludes with the $250,000 Wonder Where Stakes on Sept. 8. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.