Smart Mission suffers setback

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – A notable absentee from last Saturday’s Grade 3 Ontario Colleen Stakes was the undefeated Smart Mission, who was on track to make her stakes debut in the race, won by 3-year-old filly division leader Caren.

Trainer Malcolm Pierce said Smart Mission was pulled up by her exercise rider during a routine gallop on entry day for the Ontario Colleen last Wednesday.

“That was the whole idea, to run her in that spot, and then on Wednesday morning, she came home and took a bad step,” he said. “She wasn’t right. She looks like she’s fine right now, but obviously I’m not going to put a horse that I don’t think is right in the entries. I’m disappointed that we missed that race because it would have hit her right between the eyes.

“I’m going to give her a good week before I take her back to the racetrack. Whether she’s just pulled a little muscle or something, I’m hoping it’s minor and it doesn’t put her out for the rest of the year because she’s come really good in the last couple of days. On entry day, she wasn’t right to enter. It was bad timing.”