Muskoka Wonder faces four

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Muskoka Wonder debuted a winner at Woodbine on July 22, and will look to build on that in Sunday’s $125,000 Clarendon Stakes for Ontario-bred 2-year-olds over 5 1/2 furlongs on Tapeta.

The Clarendon is one of two stakes on the card, with the $100,000 Eternal Search Stakes, for Ontario-sired 3-year-old fillies over 1 1/16 miles on Tapeta, also scheduled.

Muskoka Wonder earned a 48 Beyer in his career debut over 5 1/2 furlongs on Tapeta. He came from off the pace and drew away to win by 1 1/4 lengths under jockey Patrick Husbands, who retains the mount on Sunday.

Trainer Mark Casse said he was happy with Muskoka Wonder’s debut.

“I think he’ll improve from there,” he said.

Muskoka Wonder will face just four others in his quest to give Casse his third win in the Clarendon in the past four years. Casse won with Beliveau in 2015 and Vanish in 2016.

Two runners in the Clarendon exit the July 14 Victoria Stakes over 5 1/2 furlongs. Making his career debut, Crawl From the Bar finished third behind Big Drink of Water and Armistice Day in the Victoria. The Newfie Express was fifth in the Victoria, and was also second behind Armistice Day in a maiden special weight race over five furlongs July 1.

Rounding out the Clarendon field are Souper Hot and Moon Swings. Like Muskoka Wonder, Souper Hot debuted a winner on July 7, taking a field of Ontario-sired 2-yearolds gate to wire to win by 3 1/2 lengths. Moon Swings, meanwhile, enters the Clarendon as a maiden after running fourth behind Armistice Day and The Newfie Express in a five-furlong maiden special weight dash July 1.

Line of Vision seeks rebound

In the Eternal Search Stakes, Line of Vision tries to rebound off a seventh-place finish in her seasonal debut in the Lady Angela Stakes here on June 29.

Line of Vision won three of her four starts as a juvenile last season, including stakes victories in the Victorian Queen and South Ocean Stakes. The South Ocean win came over the 1 1/16mile distance of the Eternal Search.

She’s Got Fire seeks her first stakes victory after finishing a narrow second to Fairy Hill in the Lady Angela. She’s hit the board in all three of her starts this year, with a win at this distance on June 2 to go along with two runner-up finishes.

Gosudarina finished fourth in the Lady Angela in her most recent start, and won an allowance event over 1 1/16 miles two starts back on June 15.

Clickity Clack took the Princess Elizabeth Stakes at 2. She was third behind Line of Vision and Gosudarina in the South Ocean Stakes and will make her 3-year-old debut in this spot.

Rounding out the field of five for the Eternal Search is H. M. S. Pinafore, who will be making her stakes debut.

The Sunday card also features the second leg of the Turf Endurance Series. After the first leg of the series was run over 1 3/8 miles on July 1, Sunday’s second leg will be at 1 1/2 miles. Tesseron, who was last season’s Turf Endurance champion, finished second in the opening leg and can take the series lead with a win Sunday. Artistico, who won the first leg of the series, was not entered for Sunday’s race.