Woodine: Dulce Esparenza stands out off first try at allowance level

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Dulce Esparenza’s first try at the Ontario-sired nonwinners-of-two allowance level was good, and she could easily clear that condition on Wednesday night at Woodbine.

Dulce Esparenza was dismissed at 8-1 when trainer Steve Owens debuted her in a 1 1/16-mile maiden special May 4, but she ran like a favorite. She closed three-wide from midpack to prevail over next-out winner and current rival Forest Maid.

Dulce Esparenza met the promising Niigon’s Touch in a subsequent allowance, and did well to finish a clear second after stalking a sleepy pace. Niigon’s Touch should be a player in future Ontario-sired stakes.

Dulce Esparenza will negotiate 1 1/16 miles again on Wednesday, with Jesse Campbell back in the saddle. She has worked twice this month, including a five-furlong breeze in 1:02.20 last Friday.

Forest Maid showed little last year, but has found her calling this year while running long on the Polytrack. After back-to-back seconds in maiden special company, she graduated over nine furlongs in a slow clocking June 9.

Gerry Olguin will ride Forest Maid for trainer Kevin Attard, a combo which has won at a 20 percent clip since the beginning of 2010.

Reconnect is another contender. She rallied wide from far back to end up third behind Niigon’s Touch in her seven-furlong debut April 30. A daughter of Queen’s Plate winner Niigon, Reconnect came back three weeks later to win her maiden around two turns with the aid of an outside bias.

Trainer Ashlee Brnjas is putting Reconnect on Lasix. Patrick Husbands inherits the mount on her from Omar Moreno, who’s sticking with Our Darrilyn.

Our Darrilyn ran hot and cold last year. She got her maiden win in front-running style over five furlongs in November, and wound up fifth in both of her outings at this stand, in a pair of shorter allowance sprints.

Our Darrilyn is going long for the first time on Wednesday. A daughter of Bold Executive, Our Darrilyn is out of the allowance-winning router Paint Her Gold, who has thrown the versatile Never Left Out.

Megha has been idle since a dull sixth-place finish in the Nov. 10 South Ocean Stakes. Her trainer, John Mattine, and leading rider Luis Contreras are a combined 3 for 8 at the meet.

Sagatiba was beaten by double digits in each of her four starts since running third in the restricted South Ocean.