Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
Dream It Is prepped for stakes
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Dream It Is, runner-up to Wonder Gadot in last year’s voting for Canadian champion 2-year-old filly, should be favored in Saturday’s $100,000 Star Shoot Stakes, a six-furlong sprint for 3-year-old fillies.
Dream It Is was the dominant 2-year-old at Woodbine during the first half of 2017. She won her first two starts by a combined six lengths, including an easy score in the fivefurlong My Dear Stakes. Dream It Is made a successful transition to dirt July 21 in the Grade 3 Schuylerville at Saratoga, winning the six-furlong stakes by nine lengths with a Beyer Speed Figure of 89.
Returning from an extended break April 8, Dream It Is wound up fifth in the Grade 3 Beaumont going about seven furlongs at Keeneland.
The Star Shoot is normally earlier in the meet, and trainer Barb Minshall said the later date made her seek out another comeback spot for Dream It Is.
“It forced my hand into the Beaumont,” Minshall said. “It
was a little far for that long a layoff. It was a tough track, a little heavy. The pace was fast. She was only beaten three and a bit lengths. She got a little tired. She ran pretty good for a long layoff.”
Minshall said Dream It Is missed the second half of 2017 with a right-hind ankle injury.
“She had a small hairline” fracture, Minshall said. “It didn’t need surgery, but we definitely needed to make sure it was good and healed up. We gave her that extra time. She’s good now. She got a lot out of that race.”
The Star Shoot lured just four others, including the supplemented pair of Sly Beauty and Wild Lute.
KEY CONTENDERS
Dream It Is, by Shackleford Last 3 Beyers: 74-89-85
◗ This will be her first race with Lasix. She must tote the high weight of 122 pounds and is being reunited with Luis Contreras.
Magic Spell, by Majesticperfection Last 3 Beyers: 71-53-66
◗ She was a good-looking debut winner from off the pace going five-eighths on the Tapeta here Nov. 12. A subsequent poor showing in a stakes over a sloppy strip at Gulfstream is a toss-out, and she’s exiting a respectable third-place finish in an allowance sprint on turf at Keeneland.
Closer Still, by So You Think Last 3 Beyers: 60-78-75
◗ After landing two of her first four starts here on the Tapeta, she finished second in the Ginger Brew Stakes at Gulfstream and is coming off a fade job in the Grade 3 Florida Oaks at Tampa.