Seductively experiments with turf try

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Seductively, one of the leading 3-year-old fillies at Woodbine, will try the turf for the first time Sunday in the $150,000 Ontario Damsel Stakes.

Seductively ran second in an allowance when she came off the sidelines this year, but she didn't get much out of her second start of the year in the Fury Stakes after her saddle slipped at the start.

Seductively rebounded nicely in her first two-turn start in the Grade 3 Selene Stakes, scoring a 7-1 upset after setting slow fractions on the front end. She ran a sixteenth of a mile farther June 11, in the 1 1/8-mile Woodbine Oaks, and wound up third after setting a lively pace.

Trainer Ian Black said he and owner David Willmot decided to bypass last Sunday's Bison City Stakes at Fort Erie with Seductively.

"We thought we'd get into a speed situation again, which would hurt us," Black said. "As it turned out, we probably would have. We'll probably try her around two turns again. Hopefully, as she gets older, she'll relax a little more."

Black said he was content with the way Seductively breezed a half-mile in 48.80 seconds over the turf training course June 23.

"She handled the grass fine," Black said, "but I don't really know how much you learn until you run them on it. There isn't a tremendous amount of turf breeding in her pedigree. This is a good opportunity to try her on the turf, and I think she should handle a firm turf fine."

Trainer Reade Baker entered Gold Quest and Classical Miss in the 6 1/2-furlong Ontario Damsel .

Gold Quest closed down the center of the course from well off a fast pace to finish second in the June 11 Alywow Stakes. The Alywow winner, Arravale, returned to finish a commendable third in the Grade 1 American Oaks at Hollywood.

"She might have benefited from [the front-runners] going too quick," said Baker. "I was certainly happy with the result, and I'm glad the winner left town."

Classical Miss faltered in her lone grass outing in her second start at 2, an effort Baker believes is a throwout. "We were trying to do a lot of things with her then, and I don't know if I had a handle on her," Baker said.

Like a Gem and Strike Softly, both far back in the Oaks, are also in the 11-horse field of Ontario-foaled 3-year-old fillies.

Half Sister, a maiden half-sister to 2003 Canadian Horse of the Year Wando, will break from post 1 in her turf debut.