Sky High Lady should have the stamina for 11-furlong allowance
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Stamina will be necessary in Friday’s Woodbine headliner, and Sky High Lady should be up to the task at hand if she fires one of her better shots in the 11-furlong allowance, which serves as the prep for the Aug. 23 Flaming Page Stakes.
Sky High Lady wound up second behind the 4-5 favorite Left a Message in the 12-furlong Flaming Page Stakes last August and went on to win a lucrative allowance at Kentucky Downs. The closer earned her 15 minutes of fame when capturing the River Memories Stakes in October, and she got the winter off after finishing a very wide third to Moonlit Beauty and Dixie Strike in the Grade 3 Maple Leaf Stakes on Nov. 2.
Sky High Lady’s only race this year came in a May 24 allowance that was too bad to be true, but she can regroup Friday after some more time off.
Sky High Lady is one of two Mark Casse charges in the $74,500 feature, along with Industrial Policy, who should go favored under Patrick Husbands.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 4 Industrial Policy and No. 7 Sky High Lady. Trainer Mark Casse is 2 for 32 with a $0.57 ROI over the past five years in turf routes of 11 furlongs and longer.Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
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KEY CONTENDERS
Sky High Lady (Last 3 Beyers: 65-74-84)
* Casse is 3 for 13 at the meet when using leading rider Luis Contreras, who was aboard for her deceptively good effort in the Maple Leaf.
Industrial Policy (Last 3 Beyers: 88-86-92)
* She was a solid allowance competitor on the East Coast before ending up fourth behind Grade 1 E.P. Taylor Stakes winner Tannery and the top Woodbine grass mare Overheard in a May 26 stakes at Monmouth.
* She lacked room in the stretch before checking in fifth as part of a blanket finish in her first start for Casse here in the Grade 2 Dance Smartly Stakes.
* Casse and Husbands are a combined 28 for 100 at the meet, which includes a Queen’s Plate triumph with Lexie Lou.
Players Club (Last 3 Beyers: 77-73-81)
* She was a distant second behind the imposing champion Irish Mission in this race last year before finishing 10 1/4 lengths back in seventh in the Flaming Page.
* All three of her performances this year in shorter optional claimers were decent, but she only should be used on the bottom of exotic wagers because of her camera-shy tendencies.
Meri Shika (Last 3 Beyers: 71-61-71)
* Hall of Fame trainer Roger Attfield finally is getting the opportunity to run this somewhat-disappointing French import over an extended route distance.
* Leading local apprentice Sheena Ryan will ride her for the first time.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 3 Meri Shika and No. 5 Tanzspiel. Trainer Roger Attfield is 10 for 43 with a $3.32 ROI over the past five years in turf routes of 11 furlongs and longer at Woodbine.Click for more details. – Mike Hogan