Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
Marine, Selene poised to set the table for Plate and Oaks
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Ironstone will prep for the $1 million Queen’s Plate and Pioneer’s Edge will leg up for the $500,000 Woodbine Oaks in separate Grade 3, 1 1/16-mile stakes for 3-year-olds on Saturday at Woodbine.
Ironstone drew post 1 in a field of eight in the $150,000 Marine. He was among the leading 2-year-olds at Woodbine last year and a Sovereign Award finalist.
Ironstone checked in third behind the good Nobals in his May 1 season opener, the sixfurlong Woodstock Stakes. He was a narrowly beaten third behind The Minkster and Rondure most recently in the seven-furlong Queenston Stakes.
Trainer Willy Armata said he was happy with Ironstone’s effort in the Queenston, while frustrated that the colt was boxed in along the inside after breaking from the rail under Kazushi Kimura.
“He was stuck on the inside of horses,” Armata said. “When he finally got daylight, he was running on late.”
Ironstone worked a solid half-mile in 47.60 seconds last Saturday before galloping out the mile in a quick 1:41 under Kimura.
“The way he worked the other day, he probably could have gone around one more time,” Armata said. “It gives me a little more confidence. He’s going into it good.”
Armata was disappointed to lose leading rider Kimura in the Marine to Monmouth shipper Fuerteventura and has opted to go back to Ironstone’s previous rider, Ademar Santos.
There’s a seven-week gap between the Marine and the Aug. 21 Queen’s Plate, and Armata said he prefers to go into the taxing 1 1/4-mile Canadian classic fresh rather than run in the 1 1/8-mile Plate Trial Stakes on Woodbine Oaks Day on July 24.
Trainer Katerina Vassilieva has employed the same strategy with Rondure, who edged Ironstone for second in the Queenston after mounting a wide rally from seventh.
The Marine is Rondure’s first start around two turns, and Vassilieva is confident that the son of Preakness winner Oxbow will handle a middle distance.
“I think he’ll get two turns,” Vassilieva explained. “He finished well and galloped out well in his races. Exactly how much longer he can go, I don’t know until I try, which is why a mile and a sixteenth seems a little less risky than going from seven-eighths to a mile and an eighth.”
Pioneer’s Edge is making just her third start in the $150,000 Selene, which lured seven other fillies. Trained by Josie Carroll for owner-breeder Chiefswood Stables, the daughter of Pioneerof the Nile won her May 15 debut before a troubled head loss to Moira in the Fury Stakes, another seven-furlong sprint.
Chiefswood general manager Robert Landry said the plan was to run in a longer allowance and not the Fury on June 11.
“There was a two-turn race that we wanted to get her in, but it didn’t go, and that’s why we ended up running in the Fury,” Landry explained. “I really believe she wants to run long, and the Selene will be the best way to get her a two-turn race leading up to the Oaks. She’s a very talented filly and was just unlucky not to win her last race.”
Trainer Mark Casse entered Mrs. Barbara, Join the Dance, and Super Hoity Toity in the Selene, and Allegorical and Mannix in the Marine. Casse has won the Selene the past four years.
Mrs. Barbara was Canada’s champion 2-year-old filly last year, during which she defeated Moira in the Grade 3 Mazarine and was fourth in the Grade 1 Natalma. She missed the board in her first outings this year in the United Stakes and is coming off a troubled second here in the seven-furlong Ruling Angel Stakes.
Ontario-bred Allegorical won a maiden-special route following a freshening here June 4.
“He seems to be on the improve,” Casse said. “Obviously, we’re hoping that he has a big race ahead of the Queen’s Plate.”
Irish-bred Mannix overcame some adversity to beat first-level allowance types in his local debut May 22 on the Tapeta.
“He got in some trouble and was still able to win,” Casse noted. “He’s a horse I’ve been impressed with.”
◗ Dreaming of Drew seeks her third stakes victory of the meet while switching to a mile on the main turf in Saturday’s Grade 2, $175,000 Nassau for fillies and mares. She meets four runners who are exiting graded stakes company in the United States – Lady Speightspeare, Plum Ali, Crystal Cliffs, and Our Flash Drive.
The Casse-trained Our Flash Drive has worked brilliantly here on the Tapeta since finishing second to Group 1 winner Rougir in the Grade 3 Beaugay on May 14 at Belmont. She won all three of her starts here last year, including the Selene and the Grade 3 Ontario Colleen on the grass.