Holy Helena takes a bow in local return

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Holy Helena, last year’s Queen’s Plate winner, has found a new home on the grass this year. She will make a triumphant return to Woodbine in Saturday’s Grade 2, $175,000 Dance Smartly Stakes on the Queen’s Plate undercard.

Holy Helena prevailed in her first three turf outings, most notably in the Grade 2 Sheepshead Bay at Belmont in her penultimate race. Holy Helena is coming off a fifth-place finish against some formidable opposition in the Grade 2 New York at Belmont, which was run at the 1 1/4-mile distance of the Dance Smartly. Holy Helena was more than 20 lengths back early in the New York and ended up 2 1/4 lengths behind winner Fourstar Crook.

“I think she was a bit unlucky the way that race set up,” said Mike Doyle, racing manager for owner Stronach Stables. “While she was trying to get something started, she got drafted in behind a horse who was backing up.”

Also on the 13-race program is the $100,000 Charlie Barley Stakes for 3-year-olds going a mile on turf.

KEY CONTENDERS

Holy Helena, by Ghostzapper

Last 3 Beyers: 96-93-93

◗ Trained by Jimmy Jerkens, the 4-year-old was supplemented to the race.

“She’s doing great,” Doyle said. “We were going to turn her out, actually, just because we decided that maybe we wouldn’t run her at Saratoga. We decided to take a look at [the Dance Smartly], because it didn’t have a lot of horses nominated. She’s going right back to the farm for a month after and will then go back to Jimmy in New York.”

Inflexibility, by Scat Daddy

Last 3 Beyers: 92-91-90

◗ Trained by Chad Brown, she wound up third behind Holy Helena in both the Queen’s Plate and Woodbine Oaks. Perhaps the highlight of her career was a victory here last July in the Wonder Where Stakes, in which she lowered the 10-furlong course record.

◗ She was most recently second in the Grade 3 Beaugay at Belmont behind stablemate A Raving Beauty, who subsequently won the Grade 1 Just a Game.

Dream Dancing, by Tapit Last 3 Beyers: 96-93-91

◗ Last year’s Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks winner, she was a rallying sixth in the June 9 Just a Game at Belmont, beaten 1 3/4 lengths.

Santa Monica, by Mastercraftsman

Beyers: 93-88-NA

◗ Trained by Brown, she has started twice this year, winning a second-level optional claimer at Keeneland before finishing a close third in the Sheepshead Bay.

Bletchley, by Makfi

Beyers: 92-81-88

◗ She got away slowly in the Grade 2 Nassau last time before mounting an impressive wide rally from off slow fractions to finish second.

Charlie Barley Stakes

Mark Casse has entered four of the seven in the field for the Charlie Barley – Blueblood, Elusive Mischief, Ride a Comet, and Machtree.

Off an eye-catching allowance tally in his local debut, Ride a Comet could go favored. His only turf start was an allowance win at the Fair Grounds.

Blueblood has trained well since a narrow loss on Tapeta here in the April 22 Queenston. The son of top turf sire City Zip deserves a mulligan on the grass. He ran fifth on turf in a stakes at Tampa.

El Tormenta was an authoritative maiden winner on the grass here May 27.