East West Stables' Enstone, a Tiznow filly who has been first or second in her last four outings (all as the favorite) and sports the best last-out Equibase Speed Figure, is clearly the one beat in the June 11 Woodbine Oaks Presented by Budweiser. The nine-furlong race for Canadian-bred fillies offers a $500,000 purse and has drawn a full field of 12.
Enstone is from the barn of leading trainer Mark Casse, who will also send out maiden Inspired Vow in his attempt to win his fourth Oaks. He won back-to-back runnings in 2006-07 with Kimchi and Sealy Hill, respectively, and won in 2014 with Lexie Lou.
Enstone, bred by William D. Graham, dusted maiden foes and was second in the Princess Elizabeth Stakes to end her 2-year-old campaign. She returned April 30 to win the seven-furlong Fury Stakes over Woodbine's synthetic surface, then ran second to Grizzel in the Selene Stakes (G3) May 21. Enstone's 97 ESF from the Selene is four points higher than any of her rivals have posted in their careers.
Chiefswood Stable's Ghostly Presence (by Ghostzapper) edged Enstone by a half-length last fall in the Princess Elizabeth, but finished behind that one in her two 2017 starts.
A filly with a good shot of moving forward is Sam-Son Farm's homebred Mythical Mission. The Giant's Causeway filly was an even third behind Enstone and Financial Recovery in the Fury, her first outing of the year. Out of stakes winner Misty Mission, she's a full sister to Irish Mission, a two-time Canadian champion and winner of the 2012 Woodbine Oaks. Sam-Son Farm, of course, has won the Oaks a record seven times
The $125,000 Plate Trial Stakes is slated as the seventh race on the program and a short has been drawn for the 1 1/16-mile prep for the July 1 Queen's Plate. Casse has half of the six-horse field which is led by State of Honor, who will break from post 3.
Conrad Farms' homebred State of Honor, from the first crop of To Honor and Serve, was second in the Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby (G2) and Xpressbet Florida Derby (G1) before finishing last in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1) after setting the early pace. Back-to-back five-furlong drills at five-eighths and only five rivals should put him in a better spot. Stablemate King and His Court (by Court Vision ) enjoyed his return to Canada with a one-length win in the May 7 Wando Stakes.
Woodbine, Sunday, June 11, 2017, Race 9Entries: Woodbine Oaks Presented by Budweiser
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Stallion Heiress (ON) Florent Geroux 121 Michael Stidham 6/1 2 2Inflexibility (ON) Joel Rosario 121 Chad C. Brown 9/2 3 3Gertie T (ON) Rafael Manuel Hernandez 121 Norman McKnight 20/1 4 4Ghostly Presence (ON) Steven Ronald Bahen 121 Roger L. Attfield 20/1 5 5Holy Helena (ON) Luis Contreras 121 James A. Jerkens 3/1 6 6Inspired Vow (ON) Gary Boulanger 121 Mark E. Casse 20/1 7 7Miss Adele (ON) David Moran 121 Roger L. Attfield 20/1 8 8Financial Recovery (ON) Mike E. Smith 121 Catherine Day Phillips 8/1 9 9Enstone (ON) Patrick Husbands 121 Mark E. Casse 4/1 10 10Mythical Mission (ON) Eurico Rosa Da Silva 121 Malcolm Pierce 12/1 11 11Ellan Vannin (ON) Jeffrey Ian Alderson 121 Tony Michael Gattellaro 12/1 12 12Cindervella (ON) Jesse M. Campbell 121 Michael P. De Paulo 20/1
