Stakes winner Love to Shop makes first start in more than nine months

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Toronto Cup Stakes winner Love to Shop returns from an extended layoff in Friday’s Woodbine headliner, a conditioned allowance with a $50,000 claiming option scheduled for seven furlongs on the main turf.

After ending up third in the Grade 3 Ontario Colleen in her first start for trainer Kevin Attard last summer, Love to Shop beat the boys in the Sept. 3 Toronto Cup going a mile on the grass under Emma-Jayne Wilson.

Love to Shop ran two more solid races last fall, finishing third in the Ontario Damsel Stakes and second in the Grade 2 Bessarabian, both on the Tapeta. The 4-year-old Violence filly has been working right along, including a half-mile breeze in 47.80 seconds on Aug. 17. Attard has decent numbers with long-term layoff runners.

Wilson will ride Love to Shop, who’s owned by the high-profile partnership of Repole Stables and St. Elias Stables.

Golden Ghost exits stakes company to accompany her Mark Casse-trained stablemate Personal Pursuit in the six-horse feature.

A $500,000 yearling purchase in 2022 by D. J. Stable, Golden Ghost graduated in a maiden special on turf late in 2023 at Del Mar. She doubled up in an allowance on Tapeta when back on the East Coast at Gulfstream Park in January before contesting five consecutive stakes at four different tracks.

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In her local debut two back in the Grade 3 Selene, Golden Ghost ran fourth behind Sabatini, Crevalle d’Oro, and last year’s Canadian champion 2-year-old filly Witwatersrand. When turning back to six furlongs most recently in the Lake Erie Stakes at Presque Isle Downs, she was a non-threatening eighth in a 12-horse field.

Golden Ghost is meeting older females for the first time with Casse’s go-to money rider Patrick Husbands aboard.

Personal Pursuit was another $500,000 Keeneland yearling buy. The 4-year-old Tapit filly got a 90 Beyer Speed Figure when romping in a six-furlong main-turf allowance here last September. She went on to finish fourth in the Glen Cove Stakes at Aqueduct and 12th in the Tropical Park Oaks at Gulfstream.

Personal Pursuit has earned an 80 Beyer in both of her races at this level here this summer, most recently when second to stablemate Ticker Tape Home, who returned to take the Grade 3 Seaway over a quality field.

Leading rider Sahin Civaci retains the mount on Personal Pursuit for owner Tracy Farmer, who also owns 2023 Canadian Horse of the Year Fev Rover.

Ecstasy graduated three back on the Tapeta before doubling up in an allowance route around two turns on the inner turf. She came up empty during a wide trip last time out in the Ontario Colleen. Apprentice Fraser Aebly will ride her again for trainer Sid Attard.

Saratoga Vision could be over the top, and Pemberley has been in a tailspin since last summer. Both seem overmatched in the sixth of eight races.

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