Woodbine: Silent Serenity looks tough off claim in Friday allowance

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Little-known Woodbine trainer Clint Abraham appears to have made a good claim with Silent Serenity, who will vault up into first-level allowance company in Friday’s seventh race for 3-year-old fillies.

Silent Serenity started just once at 2, a 14-length loss at the hooves of future stakes winner Northern Passion in July. She flashed speed before tiring in the 5 1/2-furlong maiden special, and that early foot was a harbinger of things to come.

Silent Serenity spent the winter at the Palm Meadows training center with trainer Brian Lynch, who ran her for $32,000 off a nine-month layoff here April 13. She went right to the lead in that five-furlong dash and never looked back, scoring by 10 lengths as the favorite with a 77 Beyer Speed Figure. Abraham claimed her out of that race for Trinity Racing Stable, and has enlisted Jim McAleney for the mount on Friday.

Quality Lass could link up with Silent Serenity on the front end in the six-furlong feature.

Owned by West Point Thoroughbreds, Quality Lass has been a disappointment since she graduated second time out with an 81 Beyer in August. She set the pace before fading to third in her season opener in the filly division of the OBS Sprint Stakes in Ocala.

Most recently, in a five-furlong allowance here April 6, Quality Lass battled through fast fractions along the inside before weakening to fourth.

Patrick Husbands will ride Quality Lass again for trainer Mark Casse, who seems poised to go on a serious roll here.

Van Lew and Lil’ Sasha both defeated Quality Lass in that April 6 allowance.

Van Lew broke two lengths behind the field before closing wide to finish 1 1/4 lengths back in second. She was claimed for $50,000 from her debut last summer and went on to graduate in maiden special company in November before getting the winter off.

Van Lew is coupled in a Reade Baker-trained entry with Bear’s Queen, who rallied to beat $25,000 maidens in her only start Nov. 24.

Lil’ Sasha ran evenly for third April 6 in her first appearance since late November. She had a busy 2-year-old campaign, during which she won two of eight outings, which were mostly in middle claimers.

Las Malvegas figures to move forward in her second try off the bench. The highlight of her 2-year-old campaign was a second in the Presque Isle Debutante.

Pretty Wonder captured her lone start in October at Northlands for trainer Jim Meyaard, who is now based at Woodbine.