Seductively class of Duchess

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Selene Stakes winner Seductively will try to negotiate 7 1/2 furlongs on Woodbine's inner track in Saturday's Grade 3, $150,000 Duchess Stakes for 3-year-old fillies. The Duchess is normally run at seven furlongs on the main track, but the main track is closed to have Polytrack installed.

Seductively led most of the way in the Selene, a Grade 3 stakes at 1 1/16 miles, and earned a career-best 87 Beyer Speed Figure. Three weeks later, in the June 11 Woodbine Oaks at 1 1/8 miles, she set a lively pace before fading to third.

Trainer Ian Black said he was content with Seductively's performance in the Oaks.

"She ran hard all the way," Black said. "I thought she was pretty game through the stretch."

Most recently, Seductively made her turf debut in the 6 1/2-furlong Ontario Damsel Stakes on July 9 and finished seventh after a wide trip. Black said he expected her to finish better.

"The course might have been too firm for her," Black said. "Shortening her up from a mile and an eighth might have had some bearing on [the result], too."

Speedy Sandy will break from the outside post in the six-horse field. She has won both of starts, going wire to wire in her May 24 debut and then stalking before getting up late in a six-furlong allowance June 29. She earned Beyers of 87 and 82 in those races.

Trainer Mark Casse said he was happy to see Speedy Sandy come from just off the pace in her second start, which wasn't necessarily by design.

"She needs a lot of warming up," Casse said. "That was a day when the weather was very bad, and there was a three-minute post parade. I don't think Patrick had sufficient time to get her warmed up and ready.

"It didn't look like she was going to get the job done, but at the three-sixteenths pole, she switched to her right lead and took off."

Casse said he has had Speedy Sandy for just over three months.

"She came to me at Churchill, when I had Seaside Retreat at the Derby," he said. "She had had some soundness issues, and they couldn't get her close to racing. We feel like we figured her out, and she's been pretty exceptional. We've been patient with her, and have given her plenty of time between races. She's ready to go for Saturday."