Woodbine: Oil Painting primed for stretch-out

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Oil Painting, with a tightener under her girth, should be primed and ready for Wednesday’s Woodbine feature, a second-level optional claimer for fillies and mares.

Oil Painting, a beautifully bred daughter of Distorted Humor and stakes winner Handpainted, ran in several stakes last year while still a maiden. She was third behind Resentless and Roan Inish in the Fury Stakes in May and went on to finish a distant fourth in the Woodbine Oaks, which was won by Roan Inish.

Oil Painting got a freshening after ending up third in the Bison City Stakes in July. She finally earned her diploma over seven furlongs in September and eventually found the mark in her second try at the first allowance level, traveling 1 1/16 miles in late November.

Oil Painting got the winter off and worked at Fair Grounds and here on the Polytrack prior to her season opener in a 5 1/2-furlong optional claimer. After stalking in third along the inside in that April 10 engagement, she faded gradually to finish fourth.

Oil Painting has worked three times since her comeback and should welcome the stretchout to 1 1/16 miles on Wednesday. Jesse Campbell will ride her for trainer Josie Carroll.

Russian Rosie has been campaigned primarily on the grass by last year’s Sovereign Award-winning trainer, Roger Attfield, but she has won 2 of 7 synthetic track starts. She only got a 73 Beyer Speed Figure when victorious at this level and distance here Sept. 26, which is well below the 83 that she earned for defeating $40,000 claimers on the grass at Gulfstream in February.

Omar Moreno will ride Russian Rosie, who will compete with a $60,000 claiming tag.

Clear Lake figures to lead the way in her first appearance since a seventh as the favorite in the Sept. 6 Algoma, a stakes for graduates of local yearling sales.

Clear Lake ran two solid races in first-level allowance company last spring, including a runner-up placing behind Embur’s Song in her season opener, for which she got a 90 Beyer. Her trainer, Paul Attard, sent out Zinn House Doll to win off a five-month layoff last Saturday.

Completing the field are minor stakes winners Jazzy Jessy and Secret Wish.

Jazzy Jessy has been idle since ending up third in a $25,000 conditioned claimer Feb. 27 at Fair Grounds.