Woodbine: Lucky Be Me rounding into form

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – After beginning the year with two fourth-place finishes, stakes winner Lucky Be Me is exiting an improved effort and should be prominent in Wednesday’s fourth race at Woodbine, a 1 1/16-mile Ontario-sired allowance for fillies and mares.

Lucky Be Me had a solid 2-year-old campaign last year, winning her debut before competing in a series of restricted stakes. After ending up fifth in the Shady Well, she ran third behind stablemate Tree Pose in the Nandi. She beat Tree Pose by a nose after a stirring stretch battle in the seven-furlong Muskoka in September, but that taxing try took its toll on her, as she missed the board in both of her fall outings, in the Victorian Queen and Princess Elizabeth.

Following a winter layoff, Lucky Be Me finished fourth in both an allowance and the Lady Angela Stakes. Most recently, she came four wide from a stalking position to end up second in an allowance race behind stakes winner Isabella Bay, who had everything her own way on the lead.

Luis Contreras retains the mount on Lucky Be Me, who is trained by Bill Tharrenos.

Winning Charm was a front-running third in her season opener traveling 1 1/16 miles. Her dismal June 8 race is a throwout. She missed the break and then rushed up five wide to press the pace before fading in the lane.

Baganara showed promise last year at 2, winning her debut around two turns and winding up second to the brilliant Inglorious in the Ontario Lassie Stakes. Baganara overcame a wide journey to land her first start of this year, an Ontario-sired nonwinners-of-two allowance, in a slow clocking. She could only manage fifth as the favorite when she moved up to this nonwinners of three level June 8.

Whiskey Romance finished between Lucky Be Me and Baganara in third June 8. She was previously second under Eurico Da Silva, who has the mount Wednesday.

Nicola’s Nickers possesses the highest last-out Beyer in the field, a 70, which was earned in her Ontario-sired allowance triumph on the grass. She has run hot and cold on the Polytrack.

Nice Lady was a minor player in three starts at the meet, and you can say the same about her three-race stint early in the year at Parx.

Completing the field are Go West G T Go and Precious as Jade.