Woodbine Oaks, Plate Trial top Saturday Woodbine card

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Two major preps for the $1 million Queen’s Plate on June 29 will take place at Woodbine on Saturday, the $500,000 Woodbine Oaks for Canadian-bred 3-year-old fillies and the $125,000 Plate Trial Stakes for Canadian-bred 3-year-olds. Both races will be run over 1 1/8 miles on Tapeta.

The fields for both events took shape following a series of works from contenders over the weekend. A field of eight appears likely for the Woodbine Oaks, led by the Mark Casse trio of Speedy Soul, Hastalavistababy, and Preferred Guest.

Speedy Soul and Hastalavistababy finished first and second, respectively, in the Fury Stakes on May 12, while Preferred Guest would come into the Oaks off of a runner-up finish in the Grade 3 Selene Stakes on May 18. All three fillies breezed four furlongs over Tapeta on May 31.

Canada’s champion 2-year-old filly Bold Script finished third in the Selene and will run in the Oaks following a five-furlong breeze in 1:00.80 on Saturday morning for trainer Stu Simon and owner-breeder Chiefswood Stable.

The Stronach Stables homebred Intanga Rose finished fourth in the Fury Stakes and will make her two-turn debut in the Woodbine Oaks. She breezed five furlongs in 1:00.20 on Sunday morning for trainer Sid Attard.

The Sam-Son Farm homebred Desert Ride will ship up from Kentucky for the Woodbine Oaks for trainer Neil Howard. She’s trained on both turf and dirt at Churchill Downs, most recently covering five furlongs on dirt in 1:01.00 on May 28. Jockey Shaun Bridgmohan will travel to Woodbine for the mount.

Lady Azalea is the most experienced horse in the Oaks field with nine starts under her belt for trainer Roger Attfield. Most recently, she finished third in a 1 1/16-mile allowance over Tapeta on May 19. She breezed five furlongs in 1:02.20 on Tapeta on May 29.

Rounding out the list of Oaks probables is Souciologist, who finished third in a seven-furlong allowance on May 5 and breezed six furlongs in 1:13.00 on Saturday for trainer Kevin Attard.

The Plate Trial could draw from five to eight horses. The field is led by Queenston Stakes winner Federal Law, who breezed four furlongs in 50.40 seconds on Tapeta on May 31 for Casse.

Dun Drum was third in the Queenston and will stretch out around two turns for the first time since winning the Kingarvie Stakes last December. He breezed five furlongs in 1:01.00 on Tapeta on May 31 for trainer Ian Black.

Other possible local contenders include Jammin Still, Seguimi, The Newfie Express, and Hesathriller.

Jammin Still was second in his most recent start in an allowance event around two turns May 20, in which he encountered a bit of traffic trouble. He breezed six furlongs in 1:12.60 for Attard on Saturday morning.

Seguimi was second to My Silencer in his first start of the year over seven furlongs on May 5, and did win going two turns as a 2-year-old last season for trainer Stu Simon.

The Newfie Express is still a maiden. He made his 3-year-old debut in a 5 1/2-furlong sprint on Tapeta on May 11 for trainer Alexander Patykewich. He breezed six furlongs in 1:13.00 on May 31.

Hesathriller figures to be a longshot in the Plate Trial for trainer John Ross, and would run back on short rest having finished fourth in an allowance sprint May 29.

Trainer Arnaud Delacour will ship up either Into Temptation or Mind the Gap for the Plate Trial, with both horses having trained on the all weather surface at the Fair Hill Training Center in Maryland. Both are maidens who ran second in their most recent start.

Tone Broke could also ship up for the Plate Trial following a runner-up finish in his most recent start in the Sir Barton Stakes at Pimlico on May 18. He would be making his synthetic debut for trainer Steven Asmussen.

One notable absence from the Plate Trial field is Avie’s Flatter, who will train up to the Queen’s Plate following his sixth-place finish in the Grade 2 American Turf at Churchill Downs on May 4. He breezed one mile on the Tapeta in 1:38.40 on Sunday morning, and trainer Josie Carroll said she was very pleased with the work.