Two-year-olds take the spotlight Oct. 5 when Woodbine presents the Grey Stakes and the Mazarine Stakes, a pair of grade III events worth $250,000 apiece at 1 1/16 miles on the Polytrack racing surface.
The Grey drew a field of six led by stakes winners Mine That Bird and Southern Exchange. Ten were entered in the Mazarine, which is restricted to fillies, with Muskoka Stakes winner Van Lear Rose among the contenders.
Mine That Bird, a Kentucky-bred son of Birdstone trained by David Cotey for a partnership that includes Dominion Bloodstock, has won three of four starts, all over Woodbine's Polytrack. The bay gelding captured the Silver Deputy at 6 1/2 furlongs Aug. 23 by two lengths and came back three weeks later to win the Swynford Stakes as the favorite by a neck. Chantal Sutherland, who was aboard for both stakes wins, retains the mount. The will break from the rail in the small field.
Bill and Vicki Poston's Southern Exchange gets back on his home surface after turning in a big effort for trainer Gregory de Gannes over Del Mar's Polytrack in the seven-furlong Del Mar Futurity (gr. I) Sept. 4. The gray son of Exchange Rate was out-kicked in the lane and finished fourth as the 5-2 favorite, although he was beaten by just 1 1/4 lengths after leading the field briefly.
Southern Exchange had been unbeatable in three starts at Woodbine prior to his foray into Southern California, including a 4 3/4-length win in the Victoria Stakes June 15 and a 3 1/4-length triumph in the Colin Stakes one month later.
Also in the Grey field is Bear Stables' Bear's Conductor, fourth in the Swynford after a four-length maiden win; Nuckols Farm homebred Stimulus Plan, coming off an eight-length maiden win Sept. 12; Sam-Son Farms' homebred Dance Into Heaven, second in his maiden debut Sept. 6; and Red Leader, who ran second to Stimulus Plan and has not been out of the money in three tries against maidens.
Just about anything could happen in the Mazarine, where the wagering figures to be spread around.
The first three finishers in the restricted seven-furlong Muskoka Sept. 1 -- Van Lear Rose, Retraceable and Astrotime -- are likely to get some action.
Van Lear Rose notched her first victory in four starts for owner Kingview Farms and trainer Catherine Day Phillips in the Muskoka by three-quarters of a length. She dueled for the lead before edging away in the stretch and holding on late against Retraceable, who was favored.
The homebred daughter of Stroll will have Sutherland in the irons once again, but they must overcome the far outside post in the 10-horse field.
Retraceable, trained by Mark Casse, who owns the filly in partnership with Tina Casse and Richard and Patricia Lenhan, was making just her second start in the Muskoka. The daughter of Medaglia d'Oro broke her maiden by 2 3/4 lengths at Woodbine July 26.
Astrotime, a five-length maiden debut winner July 19 for trainer de Gannes and owner Andrew V. Fredericks, was also making her second start in the Muskoka. The Gilded Time miss broke in the air, rallied wide and was all out to get third, less than two lengths behind the winner.
After the Applause, second by a head to Juliet's Spirit in the Ontario Debutante earlier this summer, returns to the main track after a fourth-place finish in the Natalma Stakes (Can-III) on grass Sept. 14. The daughter of Lost Soldier runs for Tucci Stables and is trained by Nicholas Gonzalez.
Dancingontheedge, a The Cliff's Edge filly conditioned by Josie Carroll, also switches back to Polytrack after a fourth-place finish in the Ice Water on the lawn Aug. 24. Carroll also saddles Georgia Song, coming off a runner-up showing against first-level allowance foes Sept. 11 in her first race since romping over maidens by 6 1/2 lengths three weeks earlier.
Bedtime Story, who runs for Casse and owner William S. Farish, and Eugene Melnyk's Mullins Beach, trained by Malcolm Pierce, are last-out maiden winners.
$250,000 Grey Breeders' Cup Stakes (Can-III, Race 6, 3:35 p.m.), 2-Year-Olds, 1 1/16 Miles (All Weather)
PP. Horse, Weight, Jockey
1. Mine That Bird (KY), 117, Chantal Sutherland
2. Dance Into Heaven (ON), 113, Slade Callaghan
3. Bear's Conductor (KY), 113, Eurico Rosa Da Silva
4. Southern Exchange (FL), 119, Jono C. Jones
5. Red Leader (FL), 113, James McAleney
6. Stimulus Plan (KY), 115, Patrick Husbands
$250,000 Mazarine Breeders' Cup Stakes (Can-III, Race 8, 4:34 p.m.), 2-Year-Old Fillies, 1 1/16 Miles (All Weather)
PP. Horse, Weight, Jockey
1. Bedtime Story (KY), 120, Corey Fraser
2. Astrotime (ON), 115, Jono C. Jones
3. Georgia Song (FL), 115, Emile Ramsammy
4. After the Applause (KY), 115, Emma-Jayne Wilson
5. Babylonian (FL), 115, Simon P. Husbands
6. Dancingontheedge (FL), 115, David Clark
7. Livin Lovin (KY), 115, Ramon A. Dominguez
8. Retraceable (ON), 115, Patrick Husbands
9. Mullins Beach (ON), 115, Eurico Rosa Da Silva
10. Van Lear Rose (ON), 117, Chantal Sutherland
Mine That Bird will try to win his third straight stakes in the Grey Stakes.
Michael Burns