Tito's Calling looks to bounce back against males

ETOBICOKE, Ontario—Tito’s Calling takes on the boys over 1 1/4 miles on the main turf in Sunday’s featured conditioned allowance with an $80,000 claiming option at Woodbine.

Trained by Mike DePaulo, Tito’s Calling captured last year’s $250,000 Wonder Where Stakes, the third leg of the Canadian Triple Tiara, over the same course and distance as Sunday’s race. She went on to finish a respectable fifth against males in the final Canadian Triple Crown contest, the 1 1/2-mile Breeders’ Stakes.

Tito’s Calling got the winter off after placing in two consecutive stakes for Ontario-sired 3-year-old fillies late in the fall. She won her second start off the bench June 6 in a conditioned allowance/optional claimer on the inner turf under Emma-Jayne Wilson, who also was aboard when she trailed throughout in seventh most recently in the Grade 3 Trillium.

“Her last race wasn’t very good, but she stumbled leaving there,” DePaulo recalled. “She banged somebody, too, and that kinda knocked her out of the race. Emma let her get her feet underneath her and then the race was over. They ran some slow fractions.”

DePaulo said he bypassed Saturday’s Grade 2 Canadian in favor of this easier spot with a smaller field.

“She’s good at extended distances and there’s not a lot of options,” DePaulo said. “If it comes off the grass, she’s okay on the Tapeta.”

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Apprentice Fraser Aebly picks up the mount on Tito’s Calling, a daughter of Society’s Chairman owned by Zilli Racing Stables.

“We’re in with 112 pounds,” DePaulo said. “It’s quite a weight” concession.

Dancin in Da’nile could go favored off a victory in which he cleared the second allowance condition going about 1 1/8 miles on the main turf. He was previously third on the Tapeta after a fifth-place finish in his second start off the sidelines at Aqueduct.

Rafael Hernandez retains the mount on Dancin in Da’nile for hot trainer Gail Cox.

Conglomerate is returning from a 6 1/2-month layoff, which began after he was beaten a nose in a nine-furlong handicap over Gulfstream’s Tapeta. He won back-to-back Tapeta races here last fall, including the Grade 3 Valedictory.

Conglomerate has placed in 3 of 8 turf starts without a win. He was claimed for $50,000 by trainer Mark Casse for owner Gary Barber here last summer. Leading rider Sahin Civaci has the mount.

The long-winded British Royalty won the 2021 Breeders’ for trainer Barbara Minshall, but has gone winless in 15 starts since that event while competing in a host of stakes. He checked in third behind Dancin in Da’nile in his season debut.

Stone Age has improved with each subsequent start since joining trainer Pat Parente’s barn in the spring. He was a chalky second going about nine furlongs at this level July 19.

Rounding out the eighth-race lineup is Tapeta expert Lac Macaza, who has a turf tally against $25,000 claimers to his credit.

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