Woodbine: Tu Endie Wei preps on dirt for Polytrack stakes on Keeneland

Tu Endie Wei breezed four furlongs in 48.40 seconds under jockey Jim McAleney on the dirt training track here at Woodbine on Friday, her first workout since winning the 6 1/2-furlong Ontario Debutante on Aug. 13.

“I work all of my horses there, if it’s not muddy,” said trainer Reade Baker.

A Kentucky-bred who races for her owner and breeder, Brereton C. Jones, Tu Endie Wei is scheduled to make her next start in the Grade 1, $300,000 Alcibiades at Keeneland on Oct. 7.

A good performance in the Alcibiades, a 1 1/16-mile race for 2-year-old-fillies, could propel Tu Endie Wei toward the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies at Churchill Downs on Nov. 4.

Tu Endie Wei is undefeated in two starts as she also won the five-furlong My Dear in her debut here June 25.

Baker said that McAleney has the call for the Alcibiades.

Lady Shakespeare getting back in shape

Don Cavallo and Lady Shakespeare breezed five furlongs in company on the turf training track here Friday morning but their trainer, Roger Attfield, has not yet firmed up their next engagements.

Luis Contreras was aboard Don Cavallo, a 4-year-old colt who won the Grade 3 Dominion Day over 1 1/4 miles of Polytrack here July 1 but then finished seventh in the Grade 1 Pacific Classic at the same distance on Del Mar’s synthetic surface.

Lady Shakespeare, who had Darren Fortune in the irons, is nominated to the Grade 2 Canadian, which also will be run on the Woodbine Mile card, but is not scheduled to participate.

“She tore her suspensory a little down in Florida,” said Attfield, who conditions the Kentucky-bred 5-year-old for owner/breeder Chuck Fipke. “That’s why she didn’t run at Keeneland.

“She’s been here at the racetrack; we’ve just been bringing her along very slowly.”

Lady Shakespeare has not seen action since winning Belmont’s Grade 2 New York on June 19, 2010.

Wildcat Marie headed to Keeneland sale
Wildcat Marie, one of the quickest fillies at Woodbine, has been retired and is scheduled to go up for auction as a broodmare prospect.
“Her knees were just getting too bad,” said Martin Drexler, who trained Wildcat Marie for a partnership headed by Joseph Baldesarra. “She’s already in Kentucky, prepping for the November sale.”

Claimed for $40,000 last August, Wildcat Marie became a stakes winner in the Grade 3, six-furlong Whimsical in her seasonal bow here Aug. 1.

Wildcat Marie went on to finish third here in the Grade 3 Hendrie and fourth in the Satin N Lace at Presque Isle Downs before making what would turn out to be the last start of her career when fourth here in the Grade 3 Royal North.

A Florida-bred 4-year-old filly, Wildcat Marie heads to the breeding she with a record of 6 wins and 6 thirds for earnings of $292,751 in 13 starts.

Olguin has mounts in B.C. Derby, Oaks

Gerry Olguin will be at Vancouver’s Hastings Park on Sunday to ride in the British Columbia Derby and British Columbia Oaks.
Olguin’s B.C. Derby mount is Northern Indy, whom he piloted to a second-place finish in the Aug. 20 Canadian Derby at Nortlhlands Park.
His B.C. Oaks partner will be Playful Argument, who is coming off a close second-place finish in the Aug. 13 Washington Oaks at Emerald Downs.

◗ The Toronto Thoroughbred Racing Club will hold its monthly meeting here Wednesday beginning at 7 p.m. in the third-floor Champions area. Scheduled head-table guests include trainer Steven Chircop and owner Max Berketa, who won the Grade 2 Sky Classic with Kara’s Orientation here Aug. 21.