Turf sprint rivals Bent Attorney, Anne's Purse meet again

FORT ERIE, Ontario - Woodbine shippers Bent Attorney and Anne's Purse appear to have an edge over their eight rivals Sunday at Fort Erie in the $125,000 Rainbow Connection Stakes, a five-furlong turf sprint for Ontario-sired fillies and mares.

Bent Attorney has had two excellent Polytrack races at Woodbine this year and should be a force with the move to turf, where she has hit the board in 6 of 9 starts. Bent Attorney has proved that she can handle this abbreviated distance and the surface, but was only fifth as the odds-on favorite in this stakes last August.

Last year's winner of the Rainbow, the 5-year-old Anne's Purse, will make her first start of the year. Trainer Earl Barnett named Robert Landry as his rider.

"She's good and fresh, with some nice works under her," said Barnett. "She is ready for this five-furlong turf try and I believe that she will run her race."

Chocolateforlunch, horse of the year at the Fort in 2009, is the top locally based runner in the field. Trained by Lyle Morden, Chocolateforlunch didn't show her usual speed in her first start this year, which came over the Fort Erie dirt. Last year, she went wire to wire to win an open allowance race on the turf here. Rui Pimentel, last year's leading rider at the Fort, will be in the saddle.

A possible surprise package in the field is Dash It Dreamer, who has good early speed and will be trying grass for the first time. By Kiridashi, a stakes winner on turf who hits around 11 percent with debut grass runners, Dash It Dreamer has the potential to run well on the surface.

In her last outing, in the six-furlong Ballade on Woodbine's Polytrack, Dash It Dreamer finished second, a half-length in front of Bent Attorney. Trainer Reade Baker has named the leading jockey Krista Carignan to ride.

In last year's Rainbow Connection, Koonunga Hill and Bold Maneuver chased Anne's Purse to the wire. Both are entered Sunday. Anthony Stephen has the mount on Koonunga Hill for trainer Steve Owens. Na Somsanith will be aboard Bold Maneuver for trainer Gail Cox.

A longshot to help the superfecta payoff could be Executive Deed, a 4-year-old filly trained by Sid Attard. She ran well in both of her turf starts and has a stalking style. Martin Ramirez has the mount.