Woodbine: Tiller enters four in La Prevoyante

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Trainer Bob Tiller entered four fillies in Saturday’s $125,000 La Prevoyante Stakes. Among them, Grace Phil should be favored in the one-mile turf route for Ontario-sired 3-year-old fillies at Woodbine.

Grace Phil has run hot and cold this year. She won her season opener in allowance company, but then flopped as the favorite in the May 20 Lady Angela Stakes. She rebounded in her first turf start July 21, when she took the seven-furlong Passing Mood Stakes under a textbook ride from Steve Bahen.

Most recently, Grace Phil was a flat fourth on Polytrack in the 1 1/16-mile Eternal Search Stakes.

“She never left the fence in her last race, and the rail wasn’t the place to be that day,” Tiller said. “It was two turns, and I think she’s better going around one turn. She’s won a stakes on the grass. She’s going into it in good order.”

Tiller also is running It’s Gail, Nikkis Bold Gelato, and Princess Pick.

It’s Gail defeated Ontario-sired 3-year-old fillies going long Aug. 12 in the Eternal Search Stakes. She was previously second in an Ontario-sired allowance on firm turf. Tiller scratched her from Monday’s Algoma, a stakes for graduates of local yearling sales.

“I don’t believe that she’s as good on the turf, but you don’t know what it’s going to be like on Saturday,” Tiller said. “It might be a quagmire, or it might be firm. Who knows? This is the last opportunity to run in a 3-year-old filly Ontario-sired race. You have to take that shot.”

Nikkis Bold Gelato had an extremely wide trip when fourth in the Passing Mood. She subsequently faded to ninth after helping to set the pace in a first-level allowance sprint.

“She needs to relax,” Tiller stressed. “She was carried 17 wide [in the Passing Mood] and almost won. I look for a decent race from her.”

Princess Pick has regressed since capturing her first two starts of the meet, although she finished fifth in the Passing Mood. She is a full sister to Top Ten List, who won the Passing Mood and La Prevoyante for Tiller in 2005.

“I think she’s better on turf,” Tiller said. “Don’t be surprised if she runs a good race.”

Estella is liable to jump up in her first start for trainer Sid Attard. She was visually impressive while landing an Ontario-sired allowance route on the grass June 10, but is coming off back-to-back sixths in the Passing Mood and Ontario Damsel Stakes.

“I’ve had her for over a month,” Attard said. “She’s doing really good. I’m very pleased.”