Woodbine: Embur's Song seeks fifth straight stakes victory in Seaway

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Saturday’s $150,000 Seaway Stakes at Woodbine is a pivotal race for Embur’s Song. It will be her third start in Canada this year, which is the minimum number required to be eligible for a Sovereign Award as a Canadian champion. A victory in the seven-furlong Seaway will make her the leader in two Sovereign divisions, champion older female and champion female sprinter.

Embur’s Song, trained by Todd Pletcher, is unbeaten in four stakes starts since she dropped her first two races of the year at Gulfstream. She notched the Grade 3 Doubledogdare at Keeneland in April and then cut back from a route to 6 1/2 furlongs to land the Grade 3 Hendrie with a 101 Beyer Speed Figure here May 14.

Embur’s Song was all-out to capture the one-mile Windward on the Tapeta surface at Presque Isle Downs on July 5. Regular rider Patrick Husbands said she missed some training heading into that event because of poor track conditions at her Saratoga base.

“Todd couldn’t breeze her going into the Presque Isle race because they had stormy weather for a whole week, and the track was bad,” Husbands said. “She still ran 110. She was the favorite. She won the race and came out of it really good.”

Embur’s Song led throughout the Grade 3 Ontario Matron here July 24, while beating a quality field that included champion Biofuel. Husbands said the 1 1/16-mile distance of the Ontario Matron is a little bit past her optimum.

“Seven-eighths to a flat mile is more to her benefit,” Husbands explained. “She likes Woodbine. Every time that I’ve ridden her, she’s given me 110. She’s a great filly.”

Trainer Mike Doyle entered Amiable Grace and Dance to the Moon in the Grade 3 Seaway.

Amiable Grace defeated a weak field in the seven-furlong Sweet Briar Two Stakes in her next-to-last excursion. She was fourth Aug. 21 in the seven-furlong Belle Geste, a turf stakes that Doyle said he wouldn’t have run her in if an appropriate allowance race on Polytrack had filled.

“She’s way better on the Poly,” Doyle explained.

Dance to the Moon won her last two outings in front-running style, in first- and second-level allowance company. Doyle said an allowance race for her failed to go, leading him to run her in the Seaway.

“She’s really doing good, and this is her favorite distance,” Doyle said.

New York shipper Comic Marvel, trained by Bill Mott, won her lone Polytrack start in a seven-furlong allowance at Keeneland in April. She was subsequently a minor player in two turf stakes and is coming off a fade job in the Grade 3 Bed o’ Roses Handicap on the dirt at Belmont.

Rashnaa and Atlantic Hurricane were both supplemented at a cost of $3,000.