Artilena has Woodbine Oaks as goal for next season

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Trainer Catherine Day Phillips captured the Ontario Lassie Stakes for the second year in a row on Dec. 9, sending out Artilena to victory over Hastalavistababy.

Day Phillips won the 2017 edition of the Ontario Lassie with Dixie Moon, who went on to win this year’s Woodbine Oaks. Day Phillips will be hoping Artilena can follow in Dixie Moon’s footsteps next season, and will put together Artilena’s 3-year-old campaign with the Woodbine Oaks in mind.

“It’s certainly on our radar,” she said. “She’s had a productive fall campaign, so we’ll give her a little break right now. She’s gone to Ocala for a little turn-out. She’ll come down to us at Palm Meadows. She may get a race in either at Gulfstream or at Keeneland on the way back to Toronto.”

Artilena’s victory in the Ontario Lassie capped off a 2-year-old campaign that saw her finish first or second in four of her five starts. The lone blemish this season came in the Grade 1 Natalma Stakes on Sept. 16 when she finished 13th. It also happened to be her lone start on turf.

But Day Phillips believes Artilena deserves a second chance on the grass based on the way she trained over it this season.

Day Phillips set a new career high for wins in a Woodbine meet. Heading into the Friday card, Day Phillips had 28 wins during the meet, breaking her previous high of 24 set last season. She also has six stakes wins on the season, highlighted by Dixie Moon’s win in the Woodbine Oaks, and Grade 2 victories by Mr Havercamp in the Play the King and the Autumn.

“It was a good season,” Day Phillips said. “Some years we’ve had one or two horses that have stood out, but this year we’ve had quite a few horses that have ran well and won allowance races and had very productive campaigns. I think we’re getting a lot more balanced with strengths throughout the barn.”

◗ The 2018 Woodbine season comes to an end on Sunday with a 14-race card. The Valedictory Stakes has been the traditional closing-day feature, but that race was run last Sunday.

The feature on Sunday is a second-level allowance event over 1 1/16 miles on Tapeta which has attracted a field of 11. Surgical Strike and Freitag are logical contenders as they finished second and third behind Melmich in an allowance at this distance on Nov. 10. Melmich went on to finish a close second to Pumpkin Rumble in the Valedictory last Sunday with a 93 Beyer Speed Figure.

Other horses to consider in this spot include Admiralty Pier, last season’s Display Stakes winner who will make his first start since June and will face older horses for the first time, and King and His Court, who finished fourth in the Sir Barton Stakes in his most recent start on Dec. 2.

The 14-race card has attracted 140 entries, and includes a 1 7/8-mile starter allowance event.