Breeders’ Cup contenders likely to emerge from Summer,
Natalma
Potential candidates for the Breeders’ Cup juvenile turf stakes will be on
hand at Woodbine Saturday to compete in a pair of one-mile grass events, the
Grade 2, C$200,000
Summer and
the Grade 2, C$200,000
Natalma
for fillies.
The Summer attracted a field of 10 including the fillies Spanish Flower and
My Conquestadory, who were cross-entered in Natalma. The lone U.S.-trained
invader is School On the Hill, who posted a 46-1 upset in his debut at Arlington
on August 22. Trained by Wayne Catalano, the Student Council colt rallied from
mid-pack to win going away by 2 3/4 lengths going a mile.
School On a Hill was also cross-entered in Saturday’s Kentucky Downs Juvenile
Turf, and his withdrawal from this would make the Summer an all-Canadian affair.
Asserting Bear and Tropic of Artie, who were separated by a head in a
seven-furlong maiden event on August 17, are the only Woodbine-based entrants
with prior grass form.
Trainer Mark Casse has three entered for the Summer: Phenomenalmoon, last-out
maiden winner going seven furlongs on Polytrack; Matador, fourth in the
C$150,000 Vandal in his career debut; and the first-time starter My
Conquestadory, a daughter of Breeders’ Cup Mile winner Artie Schiller.
In addition to the filly Spanish Flower, a daughter of Artie Schiller who was
a solid second in her debut last out, the other major contender in the Summer is
Dig Alittle Deeper, a maiden son of Stroll who finished a distant second in the
C$125,000 Swynford last out.
Casse is also well-represented in the Natalama. Joining My Conquestadory are
grass maiden winners Spring Likeacobra and Appreciating, who are expected to vie
for favoritism, and the Ontario Debutante third-placer Madly Truly.
Also likely to attract a large amount of play is the Chad Brown-trained Ready
to Act, who posted a mild 7-1 upset in her debut at Saratoga going 5 1/2
furlongs on the turf in late July.
Other contenders include Ontario Debutante winner Skylander Girl and the
Roger Attfield-trained pair of Unspurned and Llanarmon. Unspurned, a daughter of
Lemon Drop Kid, won at first asking over the Polytrack on August 17, while
Llanarmon rallied to finish third behind Appreciating in her August 23 debut.
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