Silent Treat goes after Woodbine repeat

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Silent Treat ran the race of her life when she came off the sidelines May 3 to take the $126,600 Ballade Stakes. She has a realistic chance to double up in Friday’s Woodbine feature, a 6 1/2-furlong allowance that is limited to Ontario-sired fillies and mares.

Silent Treat got the job done in back-to-back allowances early last fall, before trainer Scott Fairlie tried her in a pair of stakes. She faded to sixth after setting the early pace in the open Ruling Angel and then held on for third after leading in midstretch in the restricted Jammed Lovely.

Regular rider Michelle Rainford broke Silent Treat from post 1 in the six-furlong Ballade, and she darted out to the lead and rode an inside bias to a two-length tally. Her final time of 1:09.79 translated into a 77 Beyer Speed Figure.

“When we drew the 1-hole, it was obviously a concern, but I had a lot of faith in her,” Rainford said after the Ballade. “She can handle pressure well and rate, or go to the lead. She did exactly that today.”

Rootham Triple E’s possesses tactical speed and could challenge Silent Treat for the lead. She went three wide on the turn before closing in the five path for second in the Ballade, which was a big improvement on her dull season opener in an optional claimer.

Luis Contreras will get a leg up from trainer Sam DiPasquale on Rootham Triple E’s, who won the 2013 Star Shoot Stakes.

Dance to the Moon also raced against the bias in the Ballade. She began from post 12 and came wide from seventh to finish fourth while nosing out Moonlit Beauty, who came back to run second in the allowance prep for the Trilllium Stakes.

Apprentice Sheena Ryan rode Dance to the Moon in the mare’s lone 2013 victory and she has the mount Friday on the Mike Doyle trainee.

Kay’s Grace ended a win drought of almost 20 months when she defeated Ontario-sired allowance types with a very wide trip following a long layoff May 4. The lanky 5-year-old has since worked a half-mile in a bullet 48 seconds for trainer Lisa Burry.

Lynnessa, who makes her 2014 debut, launched her 2013 campaign with back-to-back sprint scores, and she went on to run competitively in a series of routes.

The erratic Hurricane Lorraine is eligible to wake up in her third race off the bench. She comes off an eighth-place finish in the restricted Ballade.