Woodbine: Canadian champion Tu Endie Wei makes seasonal debut

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – The brilliant Tu Endie Wei, Canada’s reigning 2-year-old filly champion, will make her season debut Saturday at Woodbine in the $150,000 Star Shoot Stakes, a six-furlong sprint for 3-year-old fillies.

Tu Endie Wei captured three of four starts at 2, which included an impressive debut score in the five-furlong My Dear Stakes. She also took the Ontario Debutante and Glorious Song Stakes, and she had some excuses in her only poor performance, which came around two turns in the Grade 1 Alcibiades at Keeneland.

Tu Endie Wei, a Kentucky-bred, spent the winter at the Palm Meadows training center with trainer Reade Baker.

“I took her to Florida, and just got her ready for this race,” said Baker. “She’s doing super. Everything’s good. She’s settled down this year.”

All being well, Baker said the Grade 3 Selene Stakes here May 13 is next on Tu Endie Wei’s agenda.

“We’ll probably come back in the Selene,” said Baker. “If everything goes perfect, and we’re on an uphill climb, then we’ll try and find something for her at Saratoga.”

Rose and Shine, one of the leading Canadian-bred 2-year-old fillies last year, is aiming for the prestigious Woodbine Oaks on June 3, according to trainer Ralph Biamonte.

The versatile Rose and Shine defeated Dixie Strike in both of her stakes victories last year, the Muskoka and Princess Elizabeth Stakes. She wintered in Ocala after finishing a distant second to Dixie Strike in the Dec. 3 Ontario Lassie Stakes. Dixie Strike went on to win the Florida Oaks at Tampa Bay Downs.

“This is part of the little plan that we put together to lead up to the Oaks,” said Biamonte. “She’s fresh and she’s fit. She’s doing really good. She’s just blossomed as a 3-year-old. The race will do her good, but she’s probably not at the stage where some of the others are.”

Biamonte said Rose and Shine will have her final prep for the $500,000 Oaks in the $150,000 Fury, a seven-furlong stakes for Ontario-breds April 29.

Runfor Ro didn’t miss the board in four sprint starts on the Polytrack last year, but she has yet to cross the wire on top in competition. She was placed first by the stewards in her lone win. Her only poor performance took place on turf in the Grade 3 Natalma Stakes.

In her season opener in the filly division of the OBS Sprint Stakes, Runfor Ro was stuck in traffic along the inside before surging late to finish a commendable second.

Completing the field are longshots Logan’s Peak, Casa Loma, and Kiss in the Forest.