Woodbine: New Normal well spotted in Alywow

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – While the Woodbine Oaks and the Plate Trial will be in the spotlight Sunday afternoon, the stakes action will begin early with the Alywow.

The $100,000 Alywow, an open overnight stakes for 3-year-old fillies, is scheduled for 6 1/2 furlongs of turf and will go as the fourth race with a field of eight.

And the Alywow looks like a perfect spot for New Normal to get back on track for owner Robert S. Evans and trainer Mark Frostad.

New Normal, a Kentucky-bred, won the Grade 3 Natalma Stakes over one mile on turf here last year and then finished an unlucky eighth of 14 in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Churchill Downs.

After wintering in Florida, New Normal stopped over at Keeneland for the Grade 3 Appalachian and finished eighth, beaten four lengths, after being prominent through most of that one mile turf race,

“She ran very well,” said Frostad. “She got tired, but that set her up for this race. Hopefully, she’ll be ready to go.”

Patrick Husbands, who rode New Normal to her maiden win over seven furlongs on turf here last summer, regains the mount on the 119-pound highweight.

The only other stakes winner in the field is Jazzy Jessy, who captured the 1 1/16 mile Happy Ticket on the Louisiana Downs turf course last fall.

Purchased privately by owner Warren Byrne in New Orleans this winter, Jazzy Jessy was sent here to trainer Barbara Minshall and finished second in her local debut.

Jazzy Jessy was facing older rivals that day while traveling 1 1/16 miles in a second-level allowance/optional $62,500 claimer.

“This race might be a little short for her,” said Minshall. “But she likes the turf, and she’s in good order.”

Leading rider Luis Contreras will return about Jazzy Jessy.

I Fly High, perfect in two starts, will be trying turf for the first time for trainer Sam DiPasquale, who had hoped to work the filly over the training track turf course.

That did not happen, as wet weather postponed the opening of the course until Thursday, but DiPasquale is not unduly concerned.

“She’s a runner, and she should run on anything,” said DiPasquale, who trains I Fly High for owner Murray Stroud.

Miss Inclined, trained by Malcolm Pierce, finished third in both the six-furlong Star Shoot and 1 1/16-mile La Lorgnette in her two starts at the meeting and won her maiden over one mile on turf at Arlington last fall when trained by Donnie Von Hemel.