Stakes performers Spanish Flower, Chique to Chique still seeking first win
RACE REPLAY IS NOT AVAILABLE
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – It’s hard to believe that the Roger Attfield-trained stakes performers Spanish Flower and Chique to Chique are still maidens. Perhaps one of them finally will get her picture taken in Friday’s eighth race at Woodbine, a $55,900 maiden special weight scheduled for 1 1/16 miles on grass.
Spanish Flower looked like she could beat any kind when she barely lost her debut in August 2013 to eventual stakes winner Unspurned. She subsequently finished a close second in the Grade 2 Natalma Stakes on grass and then ran fourth in the Grade 3 Mazarine Stakes on Polytrack.
A sign of things to come came in her final 2-year-old outing last October, when finished a well-beaten fifth at 4-5 in maiden special weight company. She has competed at that level ever since and was fourth and then third as the favorite in each of her first two starts this year.
Spanish Flower’s best effort of the meet was a wide second on the grass on a hot afternoon Aug. 24. Most recently Sept. 26, she never fired after being blocked behind rivals on the turn in another turf route.
Chique to Chique wound up eighth in the Aug. 10 Wonder Where Stakes. After that, she checked in fourth and then third in a pair of maiden routes before finishing a fading sixth in another restricted turf stakes, the 1 1/8-mile Carotene.
Ten others were entered in the only non-claiming event on the card, including main-track-only runner Grey Pride.
KEY CONTENDERS
Spanish Flower (Last 3 Beyers: 57-72-67)
◗ The Robert Evans homebred by Artie Schiller has worked five furlongs twice leading up to this engagement. On Oct. 12, she breezed in 1:01.20 over the turf training course, which was among the faster drills of the day.
◗ Emma-Jayne Wilson, who rode Llanarmon to victory for Attfield in the Carotene last week, picks up the mount.
Chique to Chique (Last 3 Beyers: 67-71-62)
◗ She is getting a rider change to Justin Stein, who has compiled respectable numbers this year for Attfield.
Copper Kitten (Last 3 Beyers: 74-75-58)
◗ She hit the board in each of her last four outings, which included a second on the grass, where she closed wide from off fast fractions to make the lead in the lane before getting nailed on the wire.
Tapitstry (Last 3 Beyers: 70-65-64)
◗ Another professional maiden, this 5-year-old Tapit mare has worked regularly for her return from a 13-month layoff.