Poulin in O T can strengthen Sovereign argument with Clarendon score

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Poulin in O T shoots for his fourth sprint stakes score of the Woodbine meet in Saturday’s $150,000 Clarendon, one of two 2-year-old stakes on the card along with the $150,000 Shady Well for fillies. Both are six-furlong Tapeta events for Ontario-bred or -sired runners.

The once-beaten Poulin in O T will be favored in the Clarendon. The speedy son of Reload won his first two outings convincingly on the Tapeta, including the Victoria Stakes. He also was victorious in the Bull Page and Frost King Stakes, both for Ontario-sired stock, earlier this fall under Patrick Husbands.

Owner-trainer Steve Owens said Poulin in O T had legitimate excuses when seventh in the Soaring Free Stakes on the main turf here Aug. 20.

“He got a little shuffled back on the inside and got outside pressure,” Owens explained. “He stepped in a little hole and twisted his ankle. A lot of things went wrong.”

Owens felt another stakes victory would boost the gelding’s case for Canadian champion male 2-year-old honors.

“If the voters see that he’s won four stakes – one open and three conditioned – it might sway a few,” Owens said. “He worked really well the other day, a half in 47 and change. Patrick’s been working him every week. He’s very happy with him.”

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Four others were entered in the Clarendon, including the longshot supplement Stubborn Streak.

Shady Well

Fashionably Fab should go favored in the Shady Well, which is more wide open than the Clarendon.

Fashionably Fab earned a huge 88 Beyer when graduating second time out by 11 1/4 lengths in October. She was more workmanlike in another front-running tally most recently over allowance types, where she earned a 75 Beyer, a race with which trainer Kevin Attard was content.

“She had pressure right from the get-go and was able to hang on,” Attard noted. “Number-wise, it didn’t come back too bad. Her maiden win was a little inflated because of how far she won by.

“She’s doing well. She probably could do with a little extra distance, but this is a restricted race, so you’ve got to give it a chance.”

Me and My Shadow, Anam Cara, and Witch Hazel also are in the six-horse field.

The Mark Casse-trained Me and My Shadow notched her debut here in May before finishing fourth in the Grade 3 Schuylerville at Saratoga. She’s turning back off a second in the 1 1/16-mile Princess Elizabeth Stakes for Canadian-breds.

Anam Cara took the restricted Muskoka Stakes in August and is coming off a third in the seven-furlong Glorious Song Stakes for owner-trainer Sarah Ritchie.

Witch Hazel, trained by Katerina Vassilieva, is making her first start since a wide fifth in the Woodbine Cares Stakes on Oct. 8 on the inner turf.

“Unfortunately, we had to scratch out of the Glorious Song,” Vassilieva said. “It was going to be a better distance for her, but she came down with a virus. She’s been training very well since, and I’m hoping this will be our turn to shine.”

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