Surtsey in top form for River Memories Stakes
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Three-time stakes winner Surtsey may be peaking for Saturday’s $100,000 River Memories, an overnight stakes scheduled for a mile on the grass at Woodbine.
Surtsey won last year’s Ontario Damsel Stakes during an abbreviated three-race campaign during which she also finished third in the Wonder Where Stakes in August. She was idle from then until May 25, when she wound up fifth in the Grade 2 Nassau Stakes.
“She came up with some bone bruising last year after the Wonder Where,” trainer Kevin Attard said. “We gave her some time and took her to Florida. We had a hard time getting her into a race and started her off in the Nassau.”
Surtsey earned a career-best 91 Beyer Speed Figure when she captured her last start over seven furlongs with a wide rally in the $127,400 Avowal Stakes.
Attard said Surtsey has trained forwardly heading into the River Memories, which is named after the 1987 Canadian International winner.
“She’s had a couple of breezes since her last win,” Attard said. “I’ve been happy with the way she’s been training up to this race.”
Six others were entered in the River Memories, which should remain on the grass, regardless of the course condition. The temporary rail is in lane 2.
KEY CONTENDERS
Surtsey (Last 3 Beyers: 91-46-86)
◗ Surtsey’s only poor showing this year was a 20-length loss in an Aug. 2 stakes at Mountaineer that was taken off the turf and run on dirt.
“She had always trained on dirt, so we decided to let her run to see how it would go,” Attard said. “It was obviously a failed experiment.”
Dance Again (Last 3 Beyers: 74-77-88)
◗ Last year’s Carotene Stakes winner is coming off a distant fifth in the key Grade 2 Canadian Stakes, from which the victorious Deceptive Vision exited to run third in the Grade 1 E.P. Taylor. Third-place finisher La Tia subsequently wired Grade 3 stakes company in the Athenia at Belmont.
Silent Star (Last 3 Beyers: 76-80-79)
◗ She upset Strut the Course over a course labeled “good” in the restricted Victoriana Stakes on July 30. She went on to finish third to that rival in an optional claimer on turf and was a belated second to her in the Classy ’n Smart Stakes on Polytrack.
Joy (Last 3 Beyers: 75-81-82)
◗ The lone shipper in the lineup ran hot and cold in a pair of stakes at Laurel in September for trainer Graham Motion.