Wrenice apt to relish return to Retama

Wrenice, who has won 7 of her last 8 starts, ran arguably the biggest race of her career last year at Retama Park. On Saturday night, she will return to that San Antonio-area track as a solid favorite in the $45,000 Lakeway Stakes.

The six-furlong race for 3-year-old fillies is the first stakes of the meet. Also in the nine-horse field is stakes winner Moneyinmy-

wranglers, who won four consecutive races during the recent Lone Star Park meet and will have her first face-off with Wrenice.

Wrenice, a 17-length allowance winner last August at Retama, missed most of the Lone Star meet this year with a ligament injury behind her right knee.

"It was minor," said Randy Mayfield, who trains Wrenice for her breeder, Stewart Hamblen. "We blistered it, gave her some time. We gave her 45 days off."

The Lakeway will be Wrenice's first start since an April 28 win in the $50,000 Richland Hills Farm at Lone Star, and she has turned in some strong works. Her latest was a bullet four furlongs in 46 seconds under regular rider Bobby Walker Jr. at Retama on Sept. 4.

"Bobby did all he could do to get her to slow down, so I guess she's ready," said Mayfield. "The time off did her a world of good. It looks like she got bigger and stronger."

Wrenice will break from post 7. According to Mayfield, the Lakeway will be the start of a fall campaign that could see the filly try turf for the first time and test stakes company at Fair Grounds in New Orleans.