Six 2-year-old fillies, including favored Southern California invader Mechaya, are set to contest the $150,000 Glorious Song Stakes Nov. 11 at Woodbine.
Also in the field for the seven-furlong Polytrack event is Ontario Debutante winner Sweet Redemption. The Glorious Song, inaugurated in 1981, is the eighth race on Woodbine's Sunday card with a scheduled post time of 4:24 p.m. EST.
Trained by John Sadler for Doubledown Stables, Mechaya is listed at 7-5 on the morning line. She is coming off a distant second by 11 lengths to Beholder in a six-furlong allowance race Oct. 4 at Santa Anita Park. Beholder went on to capture the $2 million Grey Goose Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (gr. I) Nov. 2.
Prior to that, Mechaya ran third to Executiveprivilege and Beholder in the Del Mar Debutante (gr. I), contested on Polytrack at the Glorious Song distance. The Ontario-bred bay daughter of City Zip debuted at Del Mar three weeks earlier with a two-length victory.
Patrick Husbands gets the call on Mechaya, who drew post 5 in the small field.
Sweet Redemption, A bay daughter of D'wildcat, will be looking for redemption in the Glorious Song. After her neck victory in the Ontario Debutante, her career bow, on Aug. 11, the Southern Chase Farm color-bearer finished 12th (placed eleventh through disqualification) in the Arlington-Washington Lassie Stakes (gr. III) at Arlington Park Sept. 8.
Trained by Greg de Gannes, the Indiana-bred filly will be ridden by Justin Stein, her third rider in as many starts. She will carry top weight of 120 pounds from her rail post position.
Lady Bear, owned by Bear Stables, has not been out since finishing third, three-quarters of a length behind Sweet Redemption, in the Ontario Debutante. In her first start, the Kentucky-bred daughter of Bluegrass Cat romped to a 9 3/4-length score going five furlongs July 21 at Woodbine.
Reade Baker, trainer of Lady Bear, has two Glorious Song wins, with Silver Bird in 2003 and last year with the recently retired Tu Endie Wei.
Lady Bear figures to be part of a lively pace duel with Shenandoah Lady and Goldstryke Glory.
John A. Richter's Shenandoah Lady comes off a fourth-place finish in the 1 1/16-mile Mazarine Stakes (Can-III) for trainer Steve Attard after setting the pace. In her only try at seven furlongs, the Virginia-bred Purim filly led all the way to break her maiden by nearly four lengths at Woodbine Aug. 12.
Barry Holmes' Goldstryke Glory faces winners for the first time following a front-running nine-length graduation romp in her second start Oct. 13. The Terry Jordan trainee sped to a sub-45-second half mile over Woodbine's Polytrack in her win and finished up six furlongs in 1:09.73. The British Columbia-bred daughter of Second in Command is 2-1 on the morning line.
Jim and Alice Sapara’s Leinan, with one win and two seconds from three starts, completes the field.
$150,000 Glorious Song Stakes (Race 8, 4:24 p.m.), 2YO Fillies, 7 Furlongs (All Weather)
PP. Horse, Jockey, Weight, Trainer, ML Odds
1. Sweet Redemption (IN), J Stein, 120, G de Gannes, 8/1
2. Leinan (KY), L Contreras, 117, J Carroll, 4/1
3. Lady Bear (KY), E Wilson, 115, R Baker, 6/1
4. Shenandoah Lady (VA), E R Da Silva, 117, S Attard, 10/1
5. Mechaya (ON), P Husbands, 117, J W Sadler, 7/5
6. Goldstryke Glory (BC), T Pizarro, 117, T Jordan, 2/1
Ontario Debutante winner Sweet Redemption faces 5 in the Glorious Song Stakes.
Michael Burns