Mew N Me takes on males in search of elusive win
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ETOBICOKE, Ontario – The quirky Mew N Me could finally earn her diploma in Thursday’s sixth race as the probable favorite in the six-furlong maiden special weight.
Trained by Sandy McPherson for owner-breeder Allison Gryff-Chamska, Mew N Me rallied from sixth to barely get up in time in a six-furlong maiden special weight on Sept. 6, after which she was disqualified to sixth for interference at the break.
Mew N Me finished fifth and fourth in her next two outings behind the next-out winners Shades of Jade and Moonlight Princess. She got back on the beam Nov. 15 when a charging second while beaten just a neck in a 6 1/2-furlong maiden special weight.
“She’s had some issues coming out the gate,” said assistant trainer Doug McPherson, who doubles as Fort Erie’s track announcer. “She was much better out of the gate last time. She was well-schooled going into that race and broke a lot better. She got a nice, covered-up trip and had a lot more finish.”
A filly and mare race failed to fill for Mew N Me, so she’s meeting mostly males Thursday. Fraser Aebly, who was aboard for her disqualification, inherits the mount from the injured Jose Campos.
“We’re hoping a few of them go and we can work our way inside,” McPherson said. “The covered-up trip is always good here.”
The speedy Cajun Influence could vie for favoritism in the eight-horse event. Trained by Mike De Paulo, Cajun Influence set the pace on a live rail before fading to third in both of his maiden special weight outings going short this fall.
Apprentice Pietro Moran retains the mount on Cajun Influence and will break him from the one-hole. Alpha Gamma Girl might try to keep him honest and ensure that he doesn’t secure too easy a lead.
A 4-year-old by the late Souper Speedy, Alpha Gamma Girl had been idle for more than a year when she was a prominent second in a five-furlong maiden special weight on the inner turf Nov. 1. Two weeks later, in her first Tapeta start, she tracked a fast pace before fading to seventh behind Mew N Me in a bounce-like performance.
Lover Boy Mo has a pair of runner-up placings to his credit from seven starts. When cutting back from a route to seven furlongs most recently, he benefited from the aforementioned rail bias when second ahead of Cajun Influence.
Chasing Memories has failed to crack the top three in nine starts, although he wasn’t far behind Cajun Influence in fourth after mounting a belated bid two starts ago.
Kamasi is adding blinkers off his second straight lackluster effort after breezing three furlongs in 35.20 seconds on the training track Dec. 3.
Completing the lineup are first-time starters Baccaro Point and Peace Offering. Neither have recorded any flashy works.
Post time for the expanded 10-race card is 4:30 p.m.
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