Wynning Ride favored among 14 for Woodbine Oaks

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - The leading contenders for Saturday's $500,000 Woodbine Oaks apparently have struck little fear into the hearts of their less accomplished opponents as a full field of 14 has been entered for Sunday's 1o1/8-mile race.

The draw for the Woodbine Oaks, which is this country's premier test for Canadian-bred 3-year-old fillies, was held at the offsite WEGZ Stadium Bar on Thursday.

Wynning Ride, who placed in the Grade 1 Hollywood Starlet at 1 1/16 miles for trainer Bob Baffert last December, is shipping in from California and has been made the 5-2 morning line choice by Woodbine oddsmaker Jennifer Morrison.

Regular rider Joe Talamo has the call on Wynning Ride, whose only start this season was a second-place finish in a 6 1/2-furlong first-level optional claiming race at Santa Anita on May 14.

Wynning Ride drew post 7 while Tasty Temptation, the 7-2 second favorite on Morrison's line, will break from the 13 hole.

Tasty Temptation, coming off a close second-place finish to Grade 1 winner Hooh Why in the 1 1/16-mile La Lorgnette, is trained by Mark Casse and will be ridden by the meet's runaway leader Patrick Husbands.

"Obviously, we'd like to be a little closer to the inside," Casse said, "but if you told me we could have [post] 1, 2, 3 or 12, 13, 14, I'd rather be outside."

Milwaukee Appeal, third in the La Lorgnette for trainer Scott Fairlie, has been pegged at 6-1 and will begin from the post 4 under new rider Stewart Elliott.

Milwaukee Appeal won the six-furlong Star Shoot here this spring and the 1 1/16-mile Ontario Lassie last fall.

"It's a good post," Fairlie said. "She has tactical speed. She can be where she wants to be."

The odds for the others are projected to be in double digits, with High Mist and Miss Blakely the shortest prices of that group at 12-1.

High Mist, winner of last fall's six-furlong Fanfreluche for trainer Reade Baker, was supplemented to the Woodbine Oaks at a cost of $12,500 and will begin from post 9 under jockey Jim McAleney.

Miss Blakely, winner of a one-mile overnight turf stakes at Gulfstream Park in her last start April 18, will be making her Polytrack debut for trainer Joe Orseno and jockey Eibar Coa and drew the outside post.

Academicienne will be making her North American debut after racing on turf in her first five starts, all in France, and will have Alan Garcia aboard as she breaks from post 12.

A recent private purchase by the NYKY Thoroughbred Stable, Academicienne checked into trainer Kiaran McLaughlin's Belmont barn last weekend and is 20-1 on the Woodbine Oaks line.