ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Moment of Majesty was a disappointing eighth in the Queen’s Plate after finishing a close second three weeks earlier in the Woodbine Oaks.
On Sunday here at Woodbine, Moment of Majesty will be looking to rebound when she tries turf for the first time in the $250,000 Wonder Where, a 1 1/4-mile race which is the finale of the triple tiara series for Canadian-bred 3-year-old fillies.
“She has turf in her pedigree, but I can’t say I was overly impressed with her work the other day,” said Sue Leslie, trainer and part-owner of Moment of Majesty.
In her first workout since the July 4 Queen’s Plate, Moment of Majesty breezed four furlongs in 49.80 seconds under her regular rider Robert Landry here on July 18.
“She worked okay, but I don’t think she moved up on turf,” said Leslie. “They were cutting into it pretty good that day, and I do think she’d prefer it firm. But the turf training course and the main course here are so different that I don’t want to make too much of an assumption.”
Moment of Majesty came back to breeze five furlongs in 1:02.20 on the main track here last Saturday in her final Wonder Where tune-up.
“She had a week off after the Plate,” said Leslie. “She’s doing okay, but I still don’t believe she’s at where she was in May. I’d rather of had more time, but there’s just nowhere else to run her.”
Bittersweet day for Attfield
Trainer Roger Attfield was looking forward to running Thislilsoulofmine, a maiden who finished a closing third in the Ontario Damsel on July 10, in the Wonder Where after the filly worked five furlongs in 1:00.80 on the training turf here Wednesday. But by the end of the day Thislilsoulofmine was out for the season after colicking and undergoing surgery.
Attfield got the call just about a half-hour after watching his 3-year-old fillies Perfect Shirl and No Explaining finish first and third in the Grade 2, $150,000 Lake George at Saratoga.
Perfect Shirl, who was recording her third straight win and first stakes victory, and No Explaining both could be heading back to Saratoga for the Grade 2, $150,000 Lake Placid, a 1 1/8-mile turf race for 3-year-old fillies on Aug. 22.
“They both ran well, and they’re really just getting started in their careers,” said Attfield. “I think they’re very exciting prospects. We’re going to have a lot of fun with them.
In the meantime, Attfield plans to send Miss Keller, Missit, and Perfect Shower to Saratoga on Monday morning.
Miss Keller’s target is Wednesday’s $70,000 De La Rose, a one-mile overnight turf stakes for fillies and mares.
On Friday, Perfect Shower is eyeing the $70,000 John’s Call at 1 5/8 miles of turf. Missit’s spot is a third-level optional claiming race for fillies and mares going 1 1/16 miles on the turf.
Stablemates prep for out-of-town turf stakes
Attfield sent out Mekong Melody and Ave to breeze five furlongs on the turf training course here Friday, with both going in 1:00.80.
Jockey Patrick Husbands was aboard Mekong Melody; exercise rider Suzanne Lorimer worked Ave.
Mekong Melody and Ave ended a nose apart as the first two finishers in the Grade 2 Dance Smartly, a 1 1/8-mile turf race for fillies and mares here July 18.
Attfield is considering the Grade 2, $200,000 Ballston Spa, a 1 1/16-mile turf race for fillies and mares at Saratoga on Aug. 28, for Mekong Melody’s next engagement.
Ave is pointing to Arlington Park’s Grade 1, $750,000 Beverly D., a 1 3/16-mile turf race for fillies and mares on Aug. 21.
Glitter Rox back to defend Royal North title
Glitter Rox, who captured the Grade 3, $150,000 Royal North in her first start of 2009, will be looking to defend her title in the six-furlong turf race for fillies and mares here Monday.
This time around, however, the 6-year-old Glitter Rox has four starts under her belt for trainer Ian Black and is coming off third-place finishes in the restricted Zadracarta over seven furlongs and the Royal North prep at six furlongs.
“She hasn’t won this year, but she’s run well every time,” said Black. “She’s coming into the race well, but this will be tougher than the prep.”
The Royal North’s field of seven includes four shippers with Unzip Me and Minute Limit having checked in from California and Ahvee’s Destiny and Mother Russia slated to ship in from Saratoga for trainer Linda Rice.
Patrick Husbands has picked up the mount on Minute Limit for trainer John Sadler while Joe Talamo is scheduled to check in from Del Mar for the mount on Unzip Me for trainer Martin Jones.
Rice has named Harry Vega on Ahvee’s Destiny and Mike Luzzi on Mother Russia.
Dancingall Theway tunes up for Shepperton
Dancingall Theway breezed four furlong in 50.60 seconds on the training track here Friday in preparation for Wednesday night’s $125,000 Shepperton Stakes.
“She trains out there most days, but I like to mix it up a bit,” said trainer Lorne Richards. “He’s a little on the quirky side.”
Dancingall Theway, a 5-year-old gelding, will be seeking his third straight win in the Shepperton, a 6 1/2-furlong race for Ontario-sired 3-year-olds and upward.
In her last start, Dancingall Theway became a stakes winner in the restricted New Providence, a six-furlong race.
Chantal Sutherland was aboard that day but Patrick Husbands has the call for the Shepperton.
Sutherland will be at Saratoga on Monday to ride Essence Hit Man, Woodbine’s top 3-year-old sprinter, in the Grade 2, $150,000 Amsterdam.
Essence Hit Man, trained by Audre Cappuccitti, will be seeking his fourth stakes score of the season in the Amsterdam, a 6 1/2-furlong race for 3-year-olds.
