Victory Romance has faced the best

Victory Romance hasn't won a stakes since she captured the fillies division of the Sales Stakes as a 2-year-old at Northlands Park on Aug. 18, 2007. She still looks like the one to beat in the $50,000 Mademoiselle Handicap at Northlands on Sunday. The 1 1/16-mile feature for fillies and mares drew six horses and goes as the seventh race.

After winning the Sales Stakes, Victory Romance was shipped to Woodbine, where she placed in the Grade 3 Mazarine Stakes. She didn't win a race until she came back to Northlands this year, but she picked up a wad of cash when she finished second in the $500,000 Woodbine Oaks last year. In all, Victory Romance has placed in four stakes races at Woodbine.

Victory Romance, trained by Floyd Arthur, comes into the Mademoiselle razor sharp. Since returning to Northlands, she has dominated her opponents in two second-level allowance races. In her latest start she cruised to a 5 3/4-length win going one mile on July 8. This is a big step up in class, but she proved she can run with the best horses in Canada at Woodbine and she certainly fits here.

Quincy Welch retains the mount.

Littlemiss Allison is also on top of her game. Trained by Greg Tracy, Littlemiss Allison scored an easy win over Here Comes Ray Ray in the John Patrick Handicap at Northlands on July 18. Tracy likes the way she is coming up to the race, but he has concerns about her running back this quickly.

"She seems to run her best races when she is a fresh horse," said Tracy. "It really all depends on how she settles during the race. She can relax when she is behind a horse or if she has the lead. She gets a bit rattled if she has to go head and head with another horse."

Tracy is hoping jockey Rickey Walcott can either put Littlemiss Allison on the lead or have her sit just off of Victory Romance.

When the entries for the Madamoiselle came out there were only five horses entered. Tanika was added later when it was discovered there was a miscommunication between her trainer, Barry Brown, and racing secretary Jason Teague.

"He entered another horse for another race at the same time, and I was distracted and missed Tanika," said Teague. "We listened to the tapes of the conversation and clearly he entered Tanika."

Tanika, who was the champion older filly or mare in the province last year, will run on Lasix for the first time after a dull effort as the 1-2 favorite in the John Patrick.

Summer Song ships in from Hastings, where she finished third in a $75,000 optional sprint in her only start this year.