Marie MacKay returns, makes turf debut in Alywow Stakes
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – The speedy Marie MacKay will try to make her turf debut a winning one against nine other 3-year-old fillies in Saturday’s $100,000 Alywow Stakes at Woodbine.
Marie MacKay is racing for the first time this year in the 6 1/2-furlong sprint on the main course. She graduated second time out at 2 in the restricted Shady Well Stakes over Aubrieta, who came back to take the open Glorious Song Stakes while leaving Marie MacKay back in sixth.
Marie MacKay closed out her juvenile campaign Dec. 2 with a victory in a 5 1/2-furlong allowance. She has worked mostly bullets since April, but didn’t breeze from late May to mid-June.
“We missed a tiny bit of time,” trainer Danny Vella said. “She had a small setback. We were ready to run, and then we had to back off for a little while, but her last two have been great works and she’s ready.”
A daughter of Noble Mission, Marie MacKay is out of a five-furlong maiden winner in Ireland who has produced a stakes-placed turf runner.
“She acts like she should like the turf,” Vella said. “I’ve never had the opportunity to work her on it. She goes like a turf horse, if there is such a thing – she’s got great action. Her page says she should like it. It will be very interesting.”
Trainer Mark Casse, who has won the Alywow four times, entered Adversity, Diabolic, and Lemieux.
Adversity won her April 30 season opener in an allowance at Belmont Park, where she finished a distant fourth in another dirt sprint, the restricted Bouwerie Stakes, on May 30.
“She has a great pedigree, and we’re looking for a place to get her some black type,” Casse said. “I ran her on the grass in her first start, and we’re going to throw that one out and say she was a little confused. She worked really nice on the grass” July 3.
Diabolic was a Sovereign Award finalist for champion 2-year-old filly last year, during which she won her first three starts, including the Catch a Glimpse Stakes, before ending up fifth in the Grade 1 Natalma. She was third in her April 30 season debut in the Star Shoot Stakes on the Tapeta.
“Obviously, she’s a nice filly, and I thought she ran really well in that first start back this year,” Casse said. “She should be tough.”
Lemieux missed the board in two stakes starts this year at Gulfstream Park and is shortening up from about a mile.
“She trains like a really good horse and has shown, on some occasions, real ability,” Casse said. “She’s been hit or miss, but she’s training really well coming up to the race.”
The unbeaten Loyalty is making her first non-Tapeta start off an allowance win where she got an 89 Beyer Speed Figure.
Gal in a Rush ships in from Belmont, Majestic d’Oro comes from Churchill Downs, and Howdyoumakeurmoney invades from Maryland. All three have a chance.