11/13/21
2 WO Maple Leaf Stakes (GIII)
$150.000 3yo&UpF&M 1 1/4m Dirt 3yo 120lbs Older 123 lbs +penalties
Up north of the border we go for a few nice stakes at WO this weekend… here we look at the Maple Leaf Stakes (GIII) going a mile and a quarter on the main track. I’m going to give Fashionable the edge to get the victory with this group as she’s been on a steady diet of graded horses and has been close in most of her races. She has three consecutive sixth place finishes coming into this, but I think the field sets up for her to run her best. Another that has seen her fair share of graded competition is Exultant Gal. She hasn’t won this year but she has been right in the middle of things in a number of graded races, so maybe this is a spot where she can get it done.
Here’s The Field –
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Hello Hello | Rousee | Contreras L | 120 | 10/1 |
Two wins this season, both of those for a tag and she’s never seen stakes company. Struggled at the Alw level, so it’s fairly hard to jump on her bandwagon here. She was third as the 2/1 favorite vs. claiming types last out at CD, and it’s not going to get any easier here.
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Tall And Fast | Arindel | Boulanger G | 120 | 7/1 |
Her only ’21 win came back in Feb when she took the Alexandra (GII) at FG, but she was close in both the Allaire Distaff Stakes (GIII) where she was third, and a runner-up finish in the Summertime Oaks (GII) at SA. Her last four have been off the board efforts, so she needs to turn it around to be part of this one.
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Pink Attack | The Sidley Stud | Bahen S R | 123 | 7/2 |
A super solid year for this one as she shows four wins and four placings from nine starts, and her only off the board finish was a fourth… add in that she won a stakes at PID last out. Now, she’s been racing vs. lesser than graded foes, but she certainly knows where the wire is and she knows how to get there… watch her.
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Fashionable | Mb Stables | Ryan S | 123 | 7/2 |
Two wins this year, but her victory in the DEL Hcp (GII) is certainly a race you can hang your hat on. She’s been sixth in each of her trio of starts since that win, all graded races, so she needs to turn it around. This certainly looks like a spot that she can do just that.
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Battle Abbey | The Sidley Stud | Fukumoto D | 120 | 8/1 |
Three seasonal wins from this filly, but her last three have all been tiring efforts. Eighth in the Pine Stakes (GIII) at DMR, fourth in the Dogwood at CD… and she had the lead in both of those, then only beat one last out in the Hendrie Stakes (GIII) over this surface. Her best would put her in the picture, but can she deliver her best right now?
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Exultant Gal | TwinTowersRacing | Stein J | 120 | 7/2 |
She’s still looking for her first win of the ’21 season, but she has been close in a number of races. Last out, she was third in the Beldame (GII) at BEL, so she’s certainly shown that she can compete with graded types. I think you have to give her a chance today.
COZMAN 4 / 6 Willie’s Green Card 3 / 2
Categories: Grade III, STAKES ARTICLES
