Meilani's latest points her out in Alywow
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ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Meilani lost a heartbreaker to early Woodbine Oaks favorite Dixie Law when making her first start on Tapeta in the May 16 Ruling Angel Stakes. Off that breakout performance, she should be prominent in Sunday’s $100,000 Alywow Stakes, a 6 1/2-furlong Tapeta sprint for 3-year-old fillies.
After graduating over a mile on the inner turf in October, Meilani didn’t see action again until Feb. 7 at Gulfstream Park, where she came up empty on the grass. She subsequently ran third there in another two-turn allowance on the turf, after which she returned to Woodbine.
Sent off at 10-1 in the seven-furlong Ruling Angel, Meilani led until the last jump and lost by a nose while earning an 86 Beyer Speed Figure, by far her highest.
“She set a pretty solid early pace and got beat by a good horse,” trainer Kevin Attard pointed out. “She showed ability from the get-go last season and has always worked like she has talent.
“Her last race was her first on the synthetic, and we cut her back in distance too. Watching her races in Florida, she wanted to run early and leveled off late. I figured cutting her back in distance was going to be to her benefit.”
Attard also entered the improving grass runner Wooten Warrior, who is aiming for her third win in a row in her Tapeta debut. The Irish-bred graduated late in the Fair Grounds meet in March and then doubled up here in a five-furlong allowance in her first start for Attard, who worked her a half-mile in 48.40 seconds on the Tapeta here June 21.
“I thought she worked well on it,” Attard said. “I think she’ll have a good running style for six and a half. Having won her last two races, she obviously has some confidence. I’m hoping she runs as well on the synthetic as she does on the turf.”
Eight others were entered in the Alywow, including Mony Mony, Flowerhead, and Kingsolver.
Mony Mony is among a host of front-runners in the lineup. Based at Turfway Park with trainer Joe Sharp, she took the six-furlong Star Shoot Stakes with an 84 Beyer here April 25. She faded to third after setting a lively pace most recently in a 5 1/2-furlong turf allowance at Churchill Downs. She has a 6 1/2-furlong allowance score on Tapeta to her credit at Turfway.
An inconsistent runner in England, Flowerhead wound up fourth of seven in her first start on this side of the pond June 7 in the Grade 3 Soaring Softly at Saratoga. Trainer Charlie Clover is putting her on Lasix while changing surfaces. She ran second against maidens in her only synthetic-track try overseas.
Kingsolver, another first-Lasix user, finished just behind Flowerhead in fifth in the Soaring Softly after a narrow loss in a turf stakes at Aqueduct.
Slippers and Happy Destination were both supplemented by leading trainer Mark Casse.
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