Mullins Beach class of Woodbine allowance

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Multiple stakes winner Mullins Beach and the promising Lady Shakespeare will clash over a mile on the grass Friday at Woodbine in the $101,100 allowance prep for the Aug. 30 Ontario Colleen Stakes.

Mullins Beach never challenged after a tardy start when she kicked off her campaign in the Feb. 24 Mardi Gras Stakes at the Fair Grounds. She subsequently won the opening day feature here April 4 on Polytrack, the five-furlong La Voyageuse Stakes, and was third a month later in the seven-furlong Fury Stakes. Mullins Beach switched to the turf for her last start in the Ontario Damsel Stakes. She came from just off the pace in that 6 1/2-furlong sprint to score impressively by 3 1/2 lengths, and was awarded an 89 Beyer Speed Figure.

Mullins Beach is nominated to Saturday's seven-furlong Duchess Stakes on the Polytrack, but trainer Malcolm Pierce has decided to campaign her on the grass.

"I want to keep her on turf because I think she's a better grass filly," said Pierce. "This will tell us if she belongs in the Colleen. I think she'll get a mile on the turf."

Lady Shakespeare, trained by Roger Attfield, was scratched from last Friday's Grade 2 Lake George Stakes at Saratoga when that event was moved from the grass to a sloppy main track.

Lady Shakespeare won her debut here last August over firm turf before struggling home sixth over soft ground in the Grade 3 Natalma Stakes. She was idle during the fall and winter, and then wound up third in a turf allowance when she came off the sidelines at Keeneland in April.

Lady Shakespeare won an allowance route on the Polytrack when she returned here in May. Last time out in a second-level allowance/optional claimer she overcame traffic problems to prevail over older opposition, most notably Lady Attack, who returned to capture the Repercussion Stakes in a course-record clocking.

The well-traveled C Karma took the one-mile Natalma in September before ending up eighth in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Santa Anita. She is winless since her come-from-behind tally in the Pontalba Stakes Nov. 22 at the Fair Grounds.

Ailbe finished a distant second behind Lady Attack in a June 27 optional claimer, which came on the heels of her victory in a first-level allowance.

Rounding out the field are Alta Lake and After the Applause.