My Girl Sky should appreciate longer distance of South Ocean Stakes

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Trainer Katerina Vassilieva will try to win the $100,000 South Ocean Stakes for the second year in a row on Sunday at Woodbine when she runs My Girl Sky in the 6 1/2-furlong sprint for Ontario-sired 2-year-old fillies.

My Girl Sky closed stoutly from seventh to land her debut in a 5 1/2-furlong dash for Ontario-sired 2-year-old fillies Sept. 5. She stepped up to Ontario-bred stakes company most recently in the 5 1/2-furlong Shady Well Stakes, finishing fourth after a ground-saving trip. The Shady Well runner-up, Aubrieta, subsequently won the open Glorious Song Stakes.

“She’s been doing really well,” Vassilieva said. “To me, the Shady Well was a sneaky-good race. She was finishing up strong, even though I knew that five and a half wasn’t what she wanted to do.

“It tells me that she wants some extra distance. I think six and a half is attainable for now. I feel like down the road she’s going to want to go a little longer, but there’s no opportunity for that with her this year.”

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Vassilieva captured last year’s South Ocean with Jilli Marie, who like My Girl Sky is a daughter of Dynamic Sky owned by Kevin Drew.

The Mark Casse-trained Ya Mar could go favored off a third in the Shady Well. She crushed maidens by six lengths in her penultimate start. Ya Mar earned a 66 Beyer Speed Figure in both of those races.

Casse is also sending out Lois Len, who’s shortening up off a ninth-place finish in the 1 1/16-mile Princess Elizabeth Stakes. She was previously third behind Swinging Mandy and Thatsitthatsall in the one-mile Victorian Queen Stakes on turf.

Thatsitthatsall ran second in both the Victorian Queen and Muskoka stakes before graduating in a 6 1/2-furlong Ontario-sired maiden race Oct. 9. She worked five-eighths in a quick 1:00 on Nov. 12 for owner-trainer Debra Rombis.

Swinging Mandy, who’s also in the seven-horse field, has finished fifth in all four of her starts on Tapeta.

Frost King Stakes

Classy Whisper is among a group of seven in Sunday’s $100,000 Frost King Stakes, for Ontario-sired 2-year-olds going 6 1/2 furlongs.

Classy Whisper got a 77 Beyer when she graduated in her second start while stretching out to a route Oct. 31. Her trainer, Francine Villeneuve, is a former jockey who won the 2003 Frost King on Copper Trail.

“He’s been precocious right from the beginning,” Villeneuve said. “He was a little difficult at first, but he’s just taken everything in stride. To win this race with Classy Whisper, 18 years after winning it as a rider, that would be amazing.”

Bull Page Stakes winner Where’s Neal has worked fast since trailing over yielding turf in the 1 1/16-mile Cup and Saucer Stakes Oct. 10.

Silent Runner is competing on short rest off a front-running allowance score going five-eighths Nov. 12.