Woodbine: Ontario Fashion win strengthens Youcan'tcatchme's credentials for Canada's champion female sprinter

ETOBICOKE, Ontario —The aptly named Youcan’tcatchme earned her third stakes win at the Woodbine meet in Sunday’s $152,700 Ontario Fashion. She inherited the role of favorite after morning-line choice Goldstryke Glory was scratched.

Youcan’tcatchme set slow fractions under Justin Stein, as Kentucky shipper Shrinking Violet pressed her along the inside under Kent Desormeaux. Youcan’tcatchme began to edge away at the eighth pole, and she got home on top by 1 1/4 lengths, in 1:10.15 for the six furlongs. Shrinking Violet outran Acting Naughty for second in the five-horse field.

Youcan’tcatchme returned $2.50 in the Grade 3 event, and earned $90,000 for owner Murray Stroud. Trainer Sam DiPasquale said she could run back in the Grade 3 Bessarabian Stakes here Dec. 1.

Youcan’tcatchme is a Sovereign Award contender for this year’s Canadian champion female sprinter, along with Goldstryke Glory, who came down with a virus, according to trainer Kelly Callaghan.

“After she breezed [last Saturday], she was getting a little quieter,” Callaghan said. “We pulled blood on entry day, and it was normal, but I found her awfully quiet [Sunday] morning. We re-pulled blood on her, and it showed she has some kind of virus.”