Kevin Attard makes plans for his stable stars

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Trainer Kevin Attard said Shakopee Town exited her victory in Saturday’s Grade 3 Whimsical Stakes at Woodbine nicely and will be pointed to the Grade 3, $125,000 Hendrie Stakes over 6 1/2 furlongs here June 9.

A homebred owned by Minnesotans Al and Bill Ulwelling, Shakopee Town got a career-high 89 Beyer Speed Figure in the six-furlong Whimsical, which she won comfortably in her first non-dirt start, a few weeks after shipping in from Louisiana.

Pumpkin Rumble, another Ulwelling-owned veteran, has been sidelined since notching the Grade 3 Valedictory Stakes after a thrilling stretch battle with Melmich here Dec. 9.

“He’s back here at the track,” Attard said. “He had a little bit of a setback. It’s not the end of the world. He likes to run all day, anyway.”

Attard’s popular 8-year-old Melmich took his game to another level over the winter during a grass campaign at Gulfstream Park. He finished second to Zulu Alpha in the Grade 2 Mac Diarmida on March 2 and was beaten a nose by Focus Group four weeks later when second in the Grade 2 Pan American.

“He’s getting a little freshening up,” Attard said. “He’s in Ocala, to let him put his head down and eat some grass. He’s never really had a break, per se. We’ll bring him back up to Woodbine shortly and gear up for a summer campaign.”

The Grade 3 Singspiel Stakes, a 12-furlong turf route worth $125,000 on June 22, is the next target for Melmich. He has amassed nearly $1.4 million, mostly for owners Stephen Chesney and Cory Hoffman who claimed him for $20,000 in 2014.

Starship Jubilee recently won her second consecutive Sovereign Award as champion female turf runner, under the guidance of Attard. She has been idle since taking the Sunshine Millions Filly and Mare Turf in a romp Jan. 19 at Gulfstream.

Attard is pointing Starship Jubilee to the $175,000 Nassau Stakes here May 26. She won that Grade 2 event in 2017, but finished a flat fourth in it last year, two starts after taking the Sunshine Millions Filly and Mare Turf.

“We freshened her up after the Sunshine Millions,” Attard said. “I gave her a start after the Sunshine Millions last year and then laid her up briefly. She didn’t bounce back quick enough and threw a clunker. I wanted to be a little further ahead this year.”

Starship Jubilee breezed a half-mile in 48.80 seconds on the training track here Monday, which was the fastest of seven works at the distance.

“She had a nice, easy work,” Attard said. “I still have quite a bit of time to get her ready. She should be ready for it, if all goes well.”

Starship Jubilee, a 6-year-old owned by Blue Heaven Farm, has won 12 of 26 starts, for earnings of $750,210.