Dixie Moon and Wonder Gadot were separated by only a head in the June 9 Woodbine Oaks, the first leg of the Canadian Triple Tiara for sophomore fillies, but neither filly will tackle Sunday’s second leg of the series, the $225,000 Bison City Stakes, at Woodbine.
Instead, the pair – who are entered against the boys in the first leg of the Canadian Triple Crown, the Queen’s Plate, on Saturday – have left it up to Woodbine Oaks third-placer HOT CASH to carry the banner against seven rivals in the 1 1/16-mile Bison City.
Trained by Jimmy Jerkens, Hot Cash was no match for either Dixie Moon or Wonder Gadot in the Woodbine Oaks, finishing 7 1/4 lengths behind while a length up on Fairy Hill. The Ghostzapper filly was making her stakes debut in that seven-furlong affair after four attempts trying to break to her maiden. Still winless from five career starts, Hot Cash reunites with Luis Contreras for another go at the winner’s circle.
MY BORROWED ANGEL brings a perfect two-for-two mark into the Bison City for trainer Michael Wright. The Silent Name sophomore broke her maiden by 1 1/2 lengths sprinting five furlongs on May 11 and captured a six-furlong allowance/optional claimer by three parts of a length on June 17. Alan Garcia was aboard for both those efforts and retains the mount as My Borrowed Angel faces stakes rivals for the first time.
KATIE BABY, a Catherine Day Phillips-trained daughter of Curlin, just missed in her debut on May 27 at Woodbine before scoring a neck victory in a seven-furlong maiden two weeks ago on June 15. The chestnut lass keeps Eurico Da Silva in the irons for this first race against winners.
SAFE TO SAY and AVIE’S MINESHAFT finished third and fourth, respectively, in the Selene Stakes (Can-G3) last out on May 19, with only a half-length separating the pair on the wire. The Mark Casse-trained Safe to Say entered the contest off a 2 1/2-length win in her sophomore bow on May 4, while Avie’s Mineshaft ran third in the April 28 Fury Stakes while making her seasonal debut for trainer Josie Carroll.
Jerome Lermyte returns to Safe to Say’s saddle while Gary Boulanger pilots Avie’s Mineshaft for the second time in a row.
MO BIG CAT broke her maiden on turf in her second try but switched back to Woodbine’s synthetic Tapeta to run third in the Shady Well Stakes last year. The Casse pupil was a distant second in her seasonal debut on June 8 under returning jockey Patrick Husbands.
Completing the Bison City field are stakes debuter MIDNIGHT FLASH, third against allowance/optional claiming rivals three weeks ago, and maiden LUNAR GARDEN, who gets first-time Lasix in this spot.
Two races before the Bison City, MELMICH lines up against familiar foes in the $125,000 Dominion Day Stakes (Can-G3) at 10 furlongs on the Tapeta.
The Kevin Attard-trained seven-year-old has captured the past two runnings of the race, taking last year’s edition by 1 1/2 lengths over the returning GIGANTIC BREEZE and ARE YOU KIDDING ME, who were separated by only three parts of a length on the wire that day.
Melmich continued his winning ways after the 2017 Dominion Day, also scoring in the Seagram Cup Stakes (Can-G3). He recorded a third straight victory in the Elgin Stakes and capped off a five-race win streak with a 7 1/2-length romp in the Durham Cup Stakes (Can-G3).
The Wilko gelding then came down with a case of seconditis, filling that spot in his past four races, including the Eclipse Stakes (Can-G2) behind Are You Kidding Me while three parts of a length up on Gigantic Breeze in his last effort. Regular rider Eurico Da Silva will be in the saddle as Melmich faces those rivals yet again on Sunday.
Rounding out the stakes action at Woodbine on Sunday is the $100,000 Zadracarta Stakes sending 10 Ontario-bred distaffers seven furlongs on the turf. NIIGON’S ECLIPSE tries for a second straight stakes victory in this spot after wiring the Nassau Stakes (Can-G2) at 12-1 last out.
