Sprung eyes rebound in turf allowance

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Stakes winner Sprung should be favored in Wednesday's Woodbine opener, a third-level allowance with an $80,000 claiming option. The test for fillies and mares is scheduled for a mile on the grass and is the feature on a pretty good eight-race card.

Sprung, a 4-year-old trained by Mark Casse, captured the Grade 3 Natalma Stakes at 48-1 in her debut at 2. She has spent the majority of her career on the grass, on which she finished second in last year's Ontario Colleen Stakes.

Sprung has a win in five starts this year. That victory came in a second-level allowance at a mile in May at Churchill Downs, where she also ran fourth in the Grade 3 Mint Julep Handicap in June.

Sprung ran one of the better races of her career here July 12, in the Grade 2 Dance Smartly Stakes. Sprung closed gradually from third to end up second to The Niagara Queen, who had benefited from helping to set a pedestrian pace in the nine-furlong event.

Most recently in the allowance prep for the Canadian Stakes, Sprung made a wide bid before hanging and wound up third behind Callwood Dancer, who returned to finish second in a stellar field in the Grade 2 Canadian.

Patrick Husbands will ride Sprung, who breezed five-eighths in 1:02 over the turf training course Sept. 5.

One Quiet Cat should make her presence felt, regardless of the surface. She has scored twice in four starts this year, including in a $50,000 claimer on the turf June 7.

One Quiet Cat was visually impressive in her come-from-behind tally in a second-level allowance on the Polytrack on July 11. She has been freshened since her lackluster performance in a July 27 allowance, which was won by reigning Canadian Horse of the Year Sealy Hill.

Prophetically also won a second-level allowance in her penultimate outing, which came in a turf sprint. She encountered traffic problems last time when fifth in the seven-furlong Belle Geste Stakes.

Slade Callaghan picks up the mount on Prophetically for trainer Ian Black, the same combination that won the Grade 1 Woodbine Mile with Rahy's Attorney.

Belleplaine, a daughter of A.P. Indy and Grade 1 winner Marley Vale, is experimenting on the turf with a dirt-oriented pedigree.

Whisper to Me was competitive at this level in 2 of her last 3 outings. She was victorious in the 2007 Lyrique Stakes at Louisiana Downs.