Woodbine: Huronia making return, trying grass

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – The once-beaten Huronia returns from a long layoff on Wednesday night at Woodbine in the fourth race, a nonwinners-of-three allowance race for Ontario-sired females at 6 1/2 furlongs on grass.

Huronia, a 4-year-old trained by Stuart Simon, made all three of her career starts last fall on Polytrack. She dueled through fast fractions before weakening to second when she debuted in a six-furlong maiden special weight race on Oct. 6. About a month later, she overcame a slow break to beat Ontario-sired maidens from off the pace going 6 1/2 furlongs.

Huronia was favored in a seven-furlong Ontario-sired allowance Dec. 5, in which she rallied outside from well back to prevail by daylight for a 63 Beyer Speed Figure.

Simon has a healthy 25-percent strike rate with six-month-plus comebackers during the past year and a half, and Huronia has posted several bullet works, including a five-furlong breeze in 1:00.40 on the training track July 4.

Gerry Olguin will ride Huronia, a Chiefswood Stable homebred by Queen’s Plate winner Niigon, a good turf sire. She is the second foal from Pipers Honour, whose only win came in a nine-furlong maiden special weight race over Woodbine’s turf course.

Lynnessa and Exit Seeker are both making their debut on turf in the headliner.

Lynnessa graduated with the aid of an outside bias in her final 2012 appearance in December. Following a winter layoff, the daughter of Old Forester rallied strongly to land an Ontario-sired allowance on June 9, while earning just a 53 Beyer.

Exit Seeker is out of a grass specialist who earned around $300,000, but her lone turf starter failed to win. She has worked a bullet half-mile since finishing a troubled sixth in her seasonal debut June 21.

The Goldmart Farm entry of Princess Pick and Comtesse Crimson will garner support. Princess Pick checked in fourth in each of her three appearances at the meet, including in two turf allowances. She is trained by Bob Tiller, who also sends out the speedy Very Dry Dancer, who has been out of the money in three turf starts.

Comtesse Crimson was not a factor in her two grass outings in June, but she earned her diploma with a 71 Beyer in a seven-furlong maiden special on the lawn in October. Sid Attard trains her.

The versatile Ciboulette has been better than ever this year at age 4. She rallied for second behind Comtesse Crimson in her only turf attempt Oct. 7.

Sunshine Promise race poorly last time on Polytrack, which came after a neck loss on the grass to Hobnobsnob, who subsequently doubled up in another non-winners-of-three allowance.