Siwa looks difficult to catch

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - The rapid 3-year-old filly Siwa is getting some significant class relief in Friday's Woodbine feature, and should take some catching in the first-level allowance for Ontario-sired fillies and mares.

Siwa, a Knob Hill Stable homebred trained by Kevin Attard, won her only 2-year-old outing with authority last June. Sent off at 11-1, she led throughout that 4o1/2-furlong maiden special to prevail by three lengths, earning a 77 Beyer Speed Figure over a sloppy track.

Siwa resurfaced April 22 in the six-furlong Star Shoot Stakes, and appeared to have her work cut out for her after drawing the outside post on an inside-biased track. She made the early lead while staying just off the rail and set quick fractions, but faded to finish sixth behind the unbeaten Native Legend.

Siwa could have the lead to herself on Friday, and her main obstacle might be the six-furlong distance.

Izkra, Siwa's entrymate, has been laid up since her front-running triumph in a two-turn event for Ontario-sired maidens Sept. 7. A daughter of multiple stakes winner Volterra, Izkra is a half-sister to the stakes winner Time of War.

The Mike Doyle-trained entry of Bent Attorney and Nohoch should be strongly backed.

Bent Attorney crushed $50,000 maidens by six lengths last June in her first start. She was then unraced until April 28, when she finished second behind a sharp I Can in an $80,000 claimer, for which she received a respectable 71 Beyer.

Bent Attorney will be competing beyond five furlongs for the first time.

Nohoch won her maiden with an eye-catching rally following a winter layoff in her second start last spring. The best she could do in four subsequent outings was a third-place finish in a 6 1/2-furlong allowance in October.

Clearly in Charge was competitive in several Ontario-sired allowances in 2006, finishing a close second on two occasions. She has worked quickly of late in preparation for her first start of the year, and should be forwardly placed under Shane Ellis.

Curve of the Moon, a route specialist trained by Steve Roberts, has been sidelined since ending up eighth in the Aug. 30 Eternal Search Stakes.