Silver Princess needs to harness speed in Ontario Lassie

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Silver Princess nearly won her most recent start, losing by three-quarters of a length in the Victorian Queen Stakes here. On Wednesday night at Woodbine, she will stretch out around two turns for the first time in the $150,000 Ontario Lassie Stakes for Ontario-bred 2-year-old fillies over 1 1/16 miles on Tapeta.

Silver Princess finished third behind the unbeaten Conquest Vivi in the six-furlong Victorian Queen on Oct. 30. Trainer Roger Attfield said he thinks Silver Princess can handle the stretch-out.

“We haven’t really tested her to do that at this particular point in time, so it’s going to be interesting for us, too,” he said. “It’s a question of her relaxing. Conformation-wise, it looks like she should be able to do it. She’s from the same family as Not Bourbon, and he stretched out to a mile and an eighth and a mile and a quarter.”

Silver Princess has breezed twice since the Victorian Queen, most recently recording a bullet four furlongs in 48.20 seconds on Nov. 20. Attfield said he is happy with the way Silver Princess is coming into the race.

“Everything looks okay at this particular moment in time,” he said. “She’s going well.”

Key Contenders

Silver Princess, by Old Forester

Beyers: 61-63

◗ She led early in both of her starts and could find herself on the lead once again in the Ontario Lassie.

◗ Attfield has won the Ontario Lassie a record four times, most recently in 2000 with Poetically.

Missy Crissy, by Court Vision

Beyers: 67-67-37

◗ She finished fifth in the Princess Elizabeth Stakes in her most recent start Nov. 12 but made up ground in the stretch after being well off the early pace. Prior to that, she got away with slow fractions and defeated Ontario-sired maidens in gate-to-wire fashion by 7 1/4 lengths.

Cindervella, by Silent Name

Last 3 Beyers: 67-61-67

◗ She’s the only stakes winner in the field, having captured the South Ocean Stakes at this distance two starts back Oct. 1.

◗ She comes into the Ontario Lassie off a sixth-place finish in the Princess Elizabeth Stakes, in which she had to wait for racing room through the turn.

Ellan Vannin, by Spring At Last

Beyer: 66

◗ She surged to the lead between horses and won by 2 1/2 lengths going 6 1/2 furlongs in her career debut Nov. 19.

◗ Ellan Vannin will be trainer Tony Gattellaro’s first Woodbine stakes starter.