Speedy Freeze hopes to shake off last-out dud
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ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Speedy Freeze will try to rebound off a subpar performance in a first-level allowance scheduled for 7 1/2 furlongs on the inner turf on Thursday at Woodbine.
Speedy Freeze was an astute $23,500 claim last fall by trainer Ron Sadler for owners Linda Thiel and Harri Hosein. The stretch-running 4-year-old won her second start this year June 14 in an Ontario-sired allowance sprint on the main turf.
After a neck loss in an Aug. 1 starter handicap on the inner turf, Speedy Freeze ran lights-out in the seven-furlong Algoma Stakes for yearling sales alums on Aug. 24. She was hammered down to favoritism late before rallying outside to score by daylight over Little Teddy, who returned to romp in the restricted Zadracarta Stakes.
Speedy Freeze was favored in a seven-furlong Tapeta sprint at this level Sept. 27, when she failed to muster up a serious challenge and checked in sixth.
“She was a little flat and maybe had a little too much to do, and the track didn’t really favor closers,” Sadler said.
Sadler believes Speedy Freeze is equally adept on turf or Tapeta and isn’t concerned with a possible surface change on Thursday, when Rafael Hernandez has the mount.
“She’s very versatile,” Sadler pointed out.
An Chorr Dubh and Bessie Abott are both Irish-bred 3-year-olds making their local debuts.
An Chorr Dubh graduated at first asking in the summer of last year in Ireland before running seventh in the Grade 2 Del Mar Juvenile Turf in her debut for trainer Mark Glatt. She was sent to trainer Kevin Attard after a lackluster allowance outing in April. Apprentice Austin Adams rides her, and she’s worked four times since early August.
Bessie Abott also won her debut in summer 2024 in her homeland. This year, she has started five times for trainer Mark Casse, including a distant second in the Grade 3 Wonder Again Stakes that was moved from turf to a sloppy dirt track at Saratoga in June.
Bessie Abott finished sixth and third in her last two races in allowance company at Colonial. Fraser Aebly rides her and has won three races at the meet for Casse, who also entered Souper Supreme and Ella It Is.
Souper Supreme took 3 of 5 starts last year, including the restricted Muskoka and Victorian Queen stakes. Things went awry for her this year, however, and she was a well-beaten seventh in her only start during the meet in the Algoma.
Ella It Is ran second in both the Muskoka and Victorian Queen last year. Both of her wins this year came in Ontario-sired allowance company, which included an inner turf tally off a two-month break Sept. 28.
Rounding out the field for the Thursday feature are Two Sip Sally, Zisisit, Orion Beach, and Determined First. Post time for the seven-race card is 5:30 p.m.
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