Mythical Mission seeks end to victory drought

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – A turnback in distance to seven-eighths in the $125,000 Jammed Lovely Stakes could be just what the doctor ordered for Mythical Mission, who seeks her first win of the year in the race for Ontario-bred 3-year-old fillies at Woodbine on Saturday.

Mythical Mission hit the board in each leg of this year’s series for Canadian-bred sophomore fillies. She was a clear second to Holy Helena in the June 11 Woodbine Oaks, before ending up second to Enstone in the July 9 Bison City Stakes. She weakened to third after pressing the pace over 10 furlongs in the July 30 Wonder Where Stakes on turf.

Mythical Mission wound up fourth traveling a mile in the Grade 3 Ontario Colleen on Aug. 27. Following a layoff Oct. 22, she finished a flat third in another turf stakes, the nine-furlong Carotene.

Trainer Malcolm Pierce said Mythical Mission, a beautifully bred daughter of Giant’s Causeway, is better than her record indicates.

“We’ve been playing catch-up with her all year long,” Pierce said. “I thought she was on her way to winning the Oaks, before (Holy Helena) came running past her the last eighth of a mile. She’s bred to run all day, but things just haven’t worked out. She found herself on the lead too many times, too early. I’m hoping the seven-eighths will be the answer for her, where there will be some speed, and she can make that one run from the quarter pole home.”

Just six are running in the Jammed Lovely. Mythical Mission is one of two supplements, along with longshot Dilly Dally Darby.

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KEY CONTENDERS

Mythical Mission, by Giant’s Causeway
Last 3 Beyers: 85-83-82

◗ Pierce said the Jammed Lovely wasn’t originally on the Sam-Son Farm homebred’s schedule.

“The whole plan was to send her home after the Carotene,” Pierce said, “but I looked at the nominees and told the Sam-Son people that this is our last chance to run against 3-year-old fillies. Other than (Ghostly Presence), it doesn’t look like that tough a field. She’s been doing really good, and there’s no reason to put her away without one more race.”

Ghostly Presence, by Ghostzapper
Last 3 Beyers: 89-86-84

◗ Last year’s Princess Elizabeth Stakes winner was mired in a slump before winning a second-level optional claimer Sept. 2. She subsequently finished a neck back in second in both the 1 1/16-mile La Lorgnette Stakes on the Tapeta and in the Carotene, which was won by the favored New York invader Inflexibility.