Stronach filly been keeping good company

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - There are key races and key workouts, and Wedded Woman has both angles going for her heading into Friday's Woodbine feature, an allowance prep for the Sept. 2 Ontario Colleen Stakes.

Wedded Woman, trained by Brian Lynch for Stronach Stable, had a productive winter stint on the grass at Gulfstream, where she won a first-level allowance in March despite a troubled trip. Her next start there resulted in a third-place

finish in a second-level allowance won by Miss Shop, who subsequently won two listed stakes at Belmont before ending up third in the Grade 1 Coaching Club American Oaks.

Most recently, on the main track in the Woodbine Oaks, Wedded Woman never challenged and wound up sixth behind Kimchi, who came back to take the Bison City Stakes at Fort Erie. The seventh-place finisher, Strike Softly, returned to win the Ontario Damsel Stakes.

Wedded Woman breezed five-eighths around the cones over the main turf course here July 30 in 1:04.20, going evenly with Royal Challenger, who won last Sunday's Breeders' Stakes.

Todd Kabel, who was aboard for Wedded Woman's maiden victory last fall, has the mount.

Seven other 3-year-old fillies were entered in the one-mile grass contest, including Essential Edge, A Touch of Glory, and Our Madison.

Essential Edge, a blue-blooded daughter of Storm Cat, is making her turf debut off a third-place finish in the Bison City. She won her maiden in a romp here June 14, earning a Beyer Figure of 88, the same number she received in the Bison City.

Essential Edge is out of a half-sister to five stakes winners in Europe, including multiple Group 1 winner Salsabil, who captured the 1000 Guineas.

Robert Landry will get a leg up from trainer Eric Coatrieux on Essential Edge, a Chiefswood Stable homebred.

A Touch of Glory, the probable pacemaker, exits a runner-up placing in the Ontario Damsel. She dueled through moderate fractions in that turf sprint, and was beaten a length by Strike Softly, who subsequently ran second in the Wonder Where Stakes.

James McKnight picks up the mount for trainer Sid Attard, the combination that won the July 26 Passing Mood Stakes with Arctic Laur.

Our Madison was a troubled third two starts ago in the Ontario Damsel, and was never in the hunt over yielding ground last time in the Wonder Where. She won her maiden going a mile over this course as a 2-year-old before taking the Ontario Lassie Stakes on the main track.