Miss Noire, Parisia rematched

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Stakes winners Miss Noire and Parisia should be all the rage in Sunday's $148,095 Fanfreluche Stakes, a six-furlong dash for Canadian-bred 2-year-old fillies at Woodbine.

Devil Valentine heads the supporting feature on the 11-race card, the $108,600 Deputy Minister Stakes for Ontario-sired 3-year-olds. The seven-furlong Deputy Minister was originally scheduled for last Wednesday, but the entire card was scrapped because of high winds.

Miss Noire beat the talented Mulrainy when she notched her debut in a 5 1/2-furlong maiden special weight dash in July. She finished up the track in her second start in the Ontario Debutante Stakes, but then made amends with the addition of Lasix in the Muskoka, winning that seven-furlong stakes over Parisia.

Trainer Emile Allain said Miss Noire ran green in her first two outings.

"She was zigging and zagging all over the place in her first start," Allain recalled, "and she also didn't run very straight in the Debutante, and she bled a little bit. She didn't do anything wrong at all in the Muskoka," he added. "She ran like an old pro."

Miss Noire hooked Ontario Debutante winner Platel in the allowance prep for the Fanfreluche. She chased the speedy Platel in that 5 1/2-furlong dash, and ended up three lengths back in second.

"She ran a very good race," Allain said. "She was turning back from seven furlongs, and I think right now, seven-eighths is her best distance. This race is only three-quarters, but it's against Canadian-breds, so we have to be in there. I'm pretty sure that she'll run well."

Parisia, trained by Mike Mattine, had a clear lead in mid-stretch in the Muskoka, but was mowed down by Miss Noire in the final sixteenth.

Parisia won her maiden in a lucrative way against Ontario-sired opponents in the six-furlong Victorian Queen Stakes. She stalked a three-way speed duel along the inside and awaited room in the stretch before darting up the rail to prevail by a neck over favored Jade Eyed.

"I was glad to see three of them going at it," said Constant Montpellier, who rode Parisia in the Victorian Queen. "I didn't want to go four wide, so I waited until a hole opened up. I think she pulled herself up a bit when she hit the front, and Jade Eyed dug in, but she came back on again."

Completing the Fanfreluche lineup are Matter of Law, Highland Honey, My Valley Girl, Road to Justice, and Carmina Burana.