Raylene hard to stop in Lilac

CALGARY, Alberta - Saturday's 15th running of the Lilac, a one-mile race for 3-year-old fillies at Stampede Park, drew just five entrants, headed by 122-pound highweight Raylene.

Leading rider Dave Wilson retains the mount aboard Raylene, Alberta's champion juvenile filly last year, who just toyed with her rivals in the six-furlong Mount Royal over a "slow" surface here May 11. Wilson kept Raylene in reserve early, and she won drawing off by 6 1/4 lengths.

Raylene, trained by Rod Haynes, worked five furlongs in 1:01.20 here May 23 and will strongly backed to record her sixth victory. Her four stakes tallies on this circuit have come by open lengths, and she is clearly at the head of her class. She is owned by Calmar Stables and Ranch.

Wilson said Raylene rated very kindly for him last time, and he will be looking to employ the same strategy this time around from the outside post. Raylene has won at a mile, so the distance of the Lilac should not pose a problem.

Whataweekend, second to Raylene in the Mount Royal, is the likely front-runner and breaks from post 2 under Quincy Welch.

I'm Quicksilver, second to Raylene in the one-mile Freedom of the City last Oct. 12 at Northlands Park, breaks from post 4 under Leanne Painter. I'm Quicksilver closed ground in a six-furlong allowance prep here May 18 and should appreciate the extra yardage.

No War and Tea upset at 28-1 in that nonwinners-of-two allowance prep. Jadebequick is a maiden but was third in the Freedom of the City last fall.