Rare ship to New York for Attfield

ELMONT, N.Y. - Since winning the New York Handicap in 2006 with Noble Stella, trainer Roger Attfield has only sent three horses down to Belmont Park from his Canadian base.

Saturday, Attfield will have two of the seven runners entered in the $150,000 New York Breeders' Cup Stakes, a 1 1/4-mile turf race now run under allowance conditions. Attfield will be represented by Lady Shakespeare and Ave, both of whom are coming off solid efforts in their most recent starts.

"I was looking to run one in Colonial and one in New York, but both owners wanted to run in the New York race," Attfield said Wednesday from Canada.

Lady Shakespeare, half-sister to the brilliant Grade 1 winner Shakespeare, comes off a 2 1/2-length victory in the Grade 3 Bewitch Stakes at Keeneland on April 22. Prior to that, Lady Shakespeare suffered tough head losses in the Marshua's River and the Grade 3 Orchid, both at Gulfstream Park. She was also scratched four times due to soft course conditions.

In the Orchid, Lady Shakespeare fell just short to Speak Easy Gal, who won four consecutive races before finishing last in the Grade 1 Just a Game. Attfield said he thought his filly might have been best that day.

"She got into a little bit of trouble. It took her a little time to get out," Attfield said.

John Velazquez, who rode Lady Shakespeare in her last two starts, has the call from post 6.

Ave, a 4-year-old British-bred daughter of Danehill Dancer, finished a good third behind Rainbow View in the Grade 3 Gallorette Handicap at Pimlico on Preakness Day. That was her first start in the U.S., first for Attfield, and first race in seven months.

"She was a little bit slow away, which she's done a few times before," Attfield said. "I thought it was a bit short for her, but that was a lead-in race to other things."

Ave will break from the rail with Mike Luzzi.

The field for the New York, from the rail out: Ave, Changing Skies, Sweet and Flawless, Nehantic Kat, Daveron, Lady Shakespeare, and Gozzip Girl.