Too short for Accopela Choir?

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Judging by the company that she has been keeping in Southern California, Accopela Choir is the one to beat in Friday's Woodbine feature. Her main obstacle in the second-level optional $62,500 claimer might be the seven-furlong distance.

Accopela Choir was unplaced behind Life Is Sweet, Grade 1 winner Magical Fantasy, and Grade 2 winner Bsharpsonata in her next-to-last start, the Grade 2 La Canada Stakes at 1o1/8 miles. Life Is Sweet returned to capture the Grade 1 Santa Margarita Handicap.

Most recently in a second-level allowance going 1 1/16 miles at Santa Anita, Accopela Choir bobbled at the break before making a wide bid on the far turn. She lost a little ground in the stretch, and finished sixth behind Theodora, who subsequently ran third in the Santa Lucia Handicap.

Accopela Choir got dusted when she debuted in a seven-furlong maiden race in 2007 at Churchill, but she wasn't a badly-beaten fifth in her only other start at the distance, a stakes at Santa Anita. She has raced a mile or longer in eight of her last 10 starts.

Luis Contreras will ride Accopela Choir for trainer Vladimir Cerin, who won his first Woodbine race with his second starter last Friday.

Absolute Heaven, based in Maryland with trainer Graham Motion, won a weak first-level allowance over seven furlongs here Nov. 23. Given the winter off, she has been working on the Tapeta at the Fair Hill Training Center.

Yukari, the lone 3-year-old in the field, has started six times at five different tracks. She graduated in her debut last summer at Canterbury, and subsequently won an allowance at Zia. She was a non-threatening third and fifth in her last two starts, both in optional claimers at Oaklawn.

Rohan Singh is back aboard Yukari, who's making her first start for trainer Gary Aimonetti. She will break from post 1, which was 0 for 49 at the meet heading into the week.

Ky Bluz Girl had a lucrative 2008, wining 5 of 11 outings, for earnings of $145,625. She was claimed for $25,000 in October by trainer Bob Tiller, who sent her out to win for $32,000 and $40,000.

She's the Umpire, idle since November, was victorious in a 6 1/2-furlong allowance following a similar layoff last April. She has been working quickly for trainer Ian Howard.

Archie's Gal, a four-time winner last year, should be prominent from the outset.

Rainbow Chaser registered her first allowance win on the Tapeta at Presque Isle Downs in August.