Retraceable a first-rate second-stringer

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Trainer Mark Casse will rely on his talented bench at Woodbine Sunday when he sends out Retraceable in the $250,000 Bison City Stakes, the second leg of the Canadian triple tiara, a lucrative series for Canadian-bred 3-year-old fillies.

Milwaukee Appeal and the Casse-trained Tasty Temptation, the top two finishers in the first tiara race, the Woodbine Oaks, ran third and fourth in last Sunday's Queen's Plate. Their absence has left the 1 1/16-mile Bison City with a relatively weak field.

Retraceable, a daughter of the Medaglia d'Oro, was one of the better 2-year-old fillies in Canada last year. She captured the 1 1/16-mile Princess Elizabeth Stakes over Milwaukee Appeal, who came back to beat her in the Ontario Lassie Stakes Nov. 30.

Retraceable made her belated season debut June 7 in the 6 1/2-furlong Alywow Stakes, finishing a length back in third in her first start on turf.

Casse said Retraceable had some setbacks during the winter.

"After I brought her back [into training], she had a little of this and a little of that go wrong with her," Casse said. "I just wasn't comfortable with her, and it just took me a while to get her back. If the Oaks hadn't been so tough, I probably would have run her there. The Bison City has been my goal for a while with her."

Casse said the third tiara leg, the 1 1/4-mile Wonder Where Stakes on turf July 25, is on Retraceable's itinerary if she performs well Sunday. He was encouraged by the way she handled the grass in the Alywow.

"She turfs fine, so the Wonder Where would be a good spot," Casse said.

Four fillies were supplemented to the Bison City at a cost of $5,000, including Double Malt, who trailed the field in the Oaks, much to the dismay of trainer Malcolm Pierce.

"She came out of it fine," said Pierce. "She had a terrible day the whole day of that race. I don't know what it was. She was fine in the paddock, but she never settled down all afternoon. She had a super work going into it, and she's come back and worked very well."

Double Malt, who captured the 1 1/16-mile South Ocean Stakes in November, is donning blinkers for the first time.

Politelyprecious dead-heated for fifth in the Oaks, finishing 12 1/2 lengths behind the winner.