Princess Chelsea tries turf in stakes
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - The unbeaten Princess Chelsea will experiment on the turf Wednesday night at Woodbine in the $125,000 Passing Mood Stakes, a seven-furlong sprint for Ontario-sired 3-year-old fillies.
Princess Chelsea, a $135,000 yearling purchase by Bold Executive, is a half-sister to millionaire Barbeau Ruckus. In her May 12 debut, she was all-out to get the job done in a six-furlong maiden special, scoring by a neck in a time that earned her a 57 Beyer Speed Figure.
Princess Chelsea won her only other start much more convincingly June 17, in an allowance for Ontario-sired stock. She set an honest pace in that 6 1/2-furlong event before pulling away in the stretch to win by four lengths, registering a 79 Beyer.
Trainer Sid Attard has lots of admiration for Princess Chelsea, who is owned by Goldmart Farm.
"We've always loved her," Attard said. "She's improved with every race. She wasn't ready [May 12], and she almost got beat. The reason I ran her was because there wasn't another race for her for a long time. And then she came back and won easy."
Princess Chelsea breezed five-eighths around the cones on the turf training course in 1:01.20, which was the second fastest of eight works at the distance on July 7.
"She worked really good on the turf," Attard said while noting that the filly is out of a Fabuleux Dancer mare. "I think she's going to like it."
Attitude Included was among the better Ontario-sired 2-year-old fillies on the grounds last year, during which she won the 1 1/16-mile South Ocean Stakes in front-running style. She also fared okay in two six-furlong stakes, finishing third in the Fanfreluche and fourth in the Victorian Queen.
Attitude Included, a daughter of Mobil, was a distant sixth in both of her outings this spring in stakes, results that didn't shock trainer Mark Casse.
"She ran well last year," Casse said. "She came back this year and never trained with any type of enthusiasm, so I wasn't optimistic about her running well at any point in time. She's actually worked quite well on the turf, and some of the Mobils have been running okay on it. I'm expecting her to run pretty good."
Jesters Jazz will break from the outside post in the 12-horse field. She won the May 24 Lady Angela Stakes in her last start on Polytrack.