Unbeaten sprinters eye Woodbine Oaks

Next Sunday’s $500,000 Woodbine Oaks, a 1 1/8-mile test for Canadian-bred 3-year-old fillies, could have two unbeaten sprinters in the lineup, Lorena and Jilli Marie.

Lorena, by hot Ontario sire Souper Speedy, aced her stakes debut in the seven-furlong Fury here July 10, winning in front-running style over an anti-speed track.

“She’s just so genuine,” trainer Stu Simon said. “She’s the real deal. When you look at the schedule, you run in the Oaks, and then she runs back in the Bison City Stakes or the sales stakes. I honestly think there’s no doubt that she’ll two-turn.”

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Trainer Katerina Vassilieva said she’s leaning toward running Jilli Marie in the Oaks. Victorious in the restricted South Ocean Stakes at 2, stretch-running Jilli Marie beat Ontario-sired allowance rivals in her season opener, a field that included Hello Friends, who came right back to land another nonwinners-of-three sprint.

Vassilieva also is considering the July 31 Alywow Stakes and the Aug. 7 Georgian Bay Stakes for Jilli Marie. Both are turf sprints.