Sense of Pride tops Casse entry in maiden route

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – A field of promising maiden 2-year-old fillies will square off over 1 1/16 miles at Woodbine Racetrack in Thursday’s opener, which includes the stakes-placed Sense of Pride.

Sense of Pride never threatened when she debuted on the grass Oct. 3. She was prominent throughout the $252,000 Princess Elizabeth Stakes on Oct 30 but flattened out late to finish third.

Sense of Pride is coupled in the Mark Casse-trained entry with Idratherbeatthespa, who finished three lengths back in sixth in the 1 1/16-mile Princess Elizabeth after mounting a wide bid. She was previously fourth in both the Mazarine and Muskoka Stakes.

First-time starter Zenzero has been working on the dirt and the synthetic surface at Fair Hill in Maryland, and she earned the bullet in two of her last three breezes. Her trainer, Michael Pino, has won with a lofty 41 percent of his Woodbine starters this year and is 1 for 4 with first-timers in routes during the past five years.

Zenzero is a Virginia-bred by the successful turf sire Theatrical, but her dam has been a poor producer in Europe.

Charismatically ran second in back-to-back mile and 70-yard maiden special events in August and September, most notably behind Wyomia, who returned to capture the Grade 3 Mazarine. Following a lackluster turf experiment, she wound up fifth in the restricted Princess Elizabeth after running into traffic early in the stretch.

Abrianna rallied wide from the eighth pole to lose by a head as the favorite when she debuted in a seven-furlong maiden special Oct. 24. The daughter of Lemon Drop Kid and an Awesome Again mare should welcome the stretchout in distance.

Abrianna is one of two uncoupled Roger Attfield-trained entrants, along with Quite a Feat.

Quite a Feat finished a distant fourth in her lone outing on the grass. She is by Northern Afleet and out of a route winner by Quiet American.

Silver Ami is a wild card in her first non-turf start. She was a closing fourth behind some salty opposition in her Sept. 9 debut, but then finished far back a month later in another maiden special sprint. Most recently going a mile, she saved ground on the turn before going wide through the stretch to end up third behind the promising Smart Sting.

Completing the field are outsiders Group Hug and Carolina Moon.