Marie MacKay looks to rebound in allowance
Trainer Danny Vella sends out the rapid stakes winner Marie MacKay in Thursday’s featured 5 1/2-furlong allowance for 2-year-old fillies at Woodbine.
Marie MacKay graduated second time out in the 5 1/2-furlong Shady Well Stakes over Aubrieta, who returned to take the Glorious Song Stakes on Oct. 30.
Marie MacKay also ran in the seven-furlong Glorious Song, an open-company stakes. After breaking awkwardly from her outside draw, she was outrun for the early lead and then contested the middle pace before tiring to sixth.
Vella said Marie MacKay has a license to rebound Thursday.
“We figured out a bit of a breathing thing with her that should help,” Vella explained. “She’s a lovely filly, the real deal. I don’t know how far she’ll go, but she’s pretty darn fast. I’m interested to see what she’ll be like going five-eighths on the turf next year, because she’s bred for the turf and should like it.”
Very Unified is coming off a decisive maiden triumph going seven-eighths for Ontario-sired and $40,000 claimers. She has a much lower Timeform US early pace rating compared to Marie MacKay and might not be able to match strides with her early.
Fifth Anniversary, who drew the outside post 6, could parlay a stalking trip into a high placing. She was a flat fourth in the Glorious Song on Oct. 30, but was previously second in the Woodbine Cares Stakes to Derrynane, who came back to be a troubled fourth in the Grade 2 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint.
Muskoka Stakes winner Baksheesh had a four-wide trip over an inside-biased track last time when fourth in the 1 1/16-mile Princess Elizabeth Stakes.
Bid Once is exiting a troubled fifth against the boys in an Ontario-sired allowance.
Rounding out the field is Silver Magnatized, who is adding blinkers off a fifth in the Shady Well.
Post time for the eight-race Thursday card is 1:35 p.m.