Paladin Bay looks to rebound in Bison City Stakes
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – The graded stakes winner Paladin Bay will look to rebound from a fourth-place finish as the favorite in the $500,000 Woodbine Oaks when she faces five other Canadian-bred 3-year-old fillies Sunday in the $250,000 Bison City Stakes, the second jewel of the Canadian Triple Tiara.
“It definitely wasn’t her best race,” said trainer Harold Ladouceur. “I feel that we’ve recouped her back. She worked nice, she seems in good order, and I’m happy. She’s good to go, if you ask me.”
Paladin Bay, the winner of the Grade 3 Selene Stakes over My Conquestadory this year, enters the Bison City off a five-furlong breeze in 1:01.80 on July 6.
Five of the six horses in the Bison City field exit the Woodbine Oaks, including Wild Catomine, who figures to have things her own way on the front end. Wild Catomine finished second in the Oaks behind her stablemate Lexie Lou, who subsequently beat males July 6 in the Queen’s Plate.
“I thought [Wild Catomine’s race] was very good,” said trainer Mark Casse. “It looked like at the top of the lane that three or four fillies were going to run by her, but she didn’t let that happen.”
Casse also has supplemented My Heart’s Love to the Bison City. My Heart’s Love is a maiden making her third career start and her first against stakes company. She most recently finished second in a 1 1/16-mile maiden allowance June 4.
Unspurned raced wide and finished an even fifth in the Woodbine Oaks for trainer Roger Attfield. She’s had two works since the Oaks, most recently breezing four furlongs in 47.20 seconds here July 6.
Hot and Spicy stumbled at the start and finished seventh in the Woodbine Oaks after running a close third behind Wild Catomine and Lexie Lou in the Fury Stakes on May 10. She ships up from Saratoga for trainer H. James Bond, having breezed five furlongs there in 59.33 seconds July 5.
Rounding out the field is Call Her Karma, who was supplemented to the Oaks by trainer Ashlee Brnjas and finished eighth. She won her maiden by eight lengths two starts back around two turns against Ontario-sired competition. She fired a bullet five-furlong work in 59.80 seconds on the dirt training track here July 5 in preparation for this start.
Shady Well draws seven fillies
Seven Ontario-bred 2-year-old fillies, including three first-time starters, will line up in the $150,000 Shady Well Stakes earlier on the card.
Starless Night appears to be the horse to catch off her wire-to-wire maiden score against open company June 28, for which she earned a 69 Beyer Speed Figure.
Two other fillies in the field, Eff Bee Eye and Still Single, won their career debuts against Ontario-sired competition.
Brooklynsway, Dixie Twist, and Boolavogue are the three first-time starters in the field.