Little separates top trio

FORT ERIE, Ontario - A field of eight fillies and mares will contest Sunday's $125,000 Rainbow Connection Stakes at Fort Erie.

The Rainbow Connection, at five furlongs on turf, is restricted to runners sired by a stallion standing in Ontario.

Top Ten List, Siwa, and Bosskiri would appear to have the edge on the rest of the field, but it is a toss-up as to which one of the trio is the most likely winner.

Top Ten List, a 5-year-old mare now trained by Michael Trombetta, ships in from Laurel Park following a recent third in a $60,000 stakes at Monmouth Park. Last year, when trained by Bob Tiller, Top Ten List shipped down from Woodbine to win the Rainbow Connection.

A winner of nearly $400,000 on the grass, Top Ten List appears poised for a top effort in the third start of her form cycle. Robert King Jr., the Fort's leading rider, will be in the saddle.

Siwa, by Queen's Plate winner Alydeed, is an up-and-coming 3-year-old whose 93 Beyer Speed Figure for winning a similar restricted turf sprint in June at Woodbine is the best grass figure in this field.

Trainer Kevin Attard has given the front-running Siwa a couple of breezes since she finished fifth in the 6 1/2-furlong Ontario Damsel last month.

Bosskiri returns to the Fort looking for her second straight win. In the five-furlong Ernie Samuel Memorial in mid-July, Bosskiri stalked the leaders and drew off with a powerful stretch rally.

The sleeper could be Shot Gun Ela, from the Ross Armata barn. Shot Gun Ela's only turf start came when she led until midstretch and finished second in this stakes in 2006.

This will be Shot Gun Ela's second outing in 2007, and although she comes off a two-month break, she is known to run well fresh.

Flashy Pink finished two lengths behind Bosskiri as the runner-up in the Ernie Samuel.

Silver Foxtail went wire to wire as the heavy favorite over this course in late July, and speed is her game.

Impressaria and Timely Matter are a combined 1 for 18 on grass. Timely Matter ran third behind Bosskiri and Flashy Pink in the Samuel three starts ago.