Whistling Maid rates a look

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Whistling Maid, riding the wave of a two-race win streak, will try to stretch her speed out to seven furlongs in Sunday's $134,375 Lady Angela Stakes, for Ontario-sired 3-year-old fillies, at Woodbine.

Whistling Maid, a homebred owned by Robert Weber, hit the board in four of her first five outings at 2 for trainer Glenn Magnusson. She finally graduated in her seventh start in November, leading throughout a five-furlong maiden special and putting up a Beyer Speed Figure of 80.

Whistling Maid was back on her game when she resurfaced from a winter layoff in a five-furlong allowance for Ontario-sired fillies March 29. She opened up a clear early lead and never looked back, scoring by 3 1/2 lengths in 58.40 seconds.

Magnusson, who trained the 1980 Queen's Plate winner, Driving Home, said it took a while for Whistling Maid to get her act together.

"She's gotten older," Magnusson said, "and we found out what we were doing wrong with her. She ran flat-out in her earlier races, and would get gassed, but she rates pretty nicely now."

Whistling Maid worked five-eighths in a bullet 1:00.80 over the training track April 11, much to Magnusson's satisfaction.

"I was tickled to death with it," the trainer beamed. "I let her gallop out three-quarters. She's coming up to the race the way a horse should. She's sound. She's only had one race, but she's pretty fit."

Among the other contenders in the nine-horse field are Oh Livia D. and Spanish Decree, both descendants of Lady Angela, the dam of Northern Dancer's sire, Nearctic.

Oh Livia D. was a fast-closing third when she debuted here Dec. 2. She won her only subsequent start, a six-furlong maiden special in the slop on April 12.

Trainer Bob Tiller believes Oh Livia D., a nicely bred daughter of Ascot Knight and a mare by Unbridled, has lots of potential.

"I've been excited about her all along," Tiller said. "I think she's a filly with talent who will go long. She just needs to mature a little bit. I hate to run her back this quick, but it's a hard spot to pass up. She came out of her race very well."

Spanish Decree won her maiden March 29 at 41-1 in a five-furlong time virtually identical to Whistling Maid's clocking on the same card. A homebred owned and trained by Frank Huarte, Spanish Decree hit the board in just two of her five 2-year-old outings, which included a distant third-place finish in the South Ocean Stakes.

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