History Lesson: La Lorgnette was an amazing filly owned by Windfields Farms who would beat the boys in the 1985 Queen's Plate, which would bring her name to stardom in Canadian thoroughbred racing history. This stakes race was inaugurated in 2000 at Woodbine Racetrack with the first winning combination being that of trainer Catherine Day Phillips, jockey Gerry Olguin and three-year-old filly Heat It Up. There is not a trainer or owner with more than one win in the La Lorgnette, while jockey Patrick Husbands is the owner of most wins with two. 2008 winner Sugar Bay would go on to break the race record time, finishing in 1:43.56. Used as a final prep for the Canadian Classic, Woodbine Oaks, the race has always run at a distance of one mile and one-sixteenth and currently has a purse of $150,000.
La Lorgnette Stakes 2009: This promises to be a fantastic race with a very sharp group of eleven individuals. Todd Pletcher has sent in a well-bred filly, coming off her first win, while Kenneth Hoffman is bringing in a more accomplished filly in Hooh Why, winner of the Ashland Stakes Gr.I at Keenland on April 4th/09. Along with the ship-ins, the Woodbine based fillies are very tough sophomores looking to continue on their road to the Woodbine Oaks presented by Budweiser, including stakes winners Milwaukee Appeal and Woodsmoke. This will prove to be one of the more exciting races of the young season at Woodbine.
Here is a look at the field by post position:
1 Bear's Lightning by Maria's Mon out of Cloud's Ambro(Two Punch) Own: Bear Stables Ltd., Trainer: Reade Baker, Jockey: Chantal Sutherland
2 Dance for Us by Monashee Mountain out of Heart Beat(Apalachee) Own: Minshall Farms, Trainer: Barbara Minshall, Jockey: Justin Stein
3 Milwaukee Appeal by Milwaukee Brew out of Appealing Forum(Open Forum) Own: C.E.C. Farms, Trainer: Scott Fairlie, Jockey: Na Somsanith
4 La Rocca by Toccet out of Perfect Wave(Boston Harbor) Own: Winstar Farms L.L.C., Trainer: Todd A. Pletcher, Jockey: C.P. DeCarlo
5 Yukari by Cactus Ridge out of Unforgettable R N(Supremo) Own: Bryan Porter, Trainer: Gary Aimonetti, Jockey: Rohan R. Singh
6 Hooh Why by Cloud Hopping out of Magic Merger(Corporate Report) Own: Derby Daze Farm Inc. and Mark Hoffman, Trainer: Kenneth E. Hoffman, Jockey: Emile Ramsammy
7 Closing Speed by Cherokee Run out of Indira(Kingmambo) Own: Woodford Racing Stable L.L.C., Trainer: Mark Casse, Jockey: Patrick Husbands
8 Politelyprecocious by Langfuhr out of Stop Looking(Dr. Adagio) Own: Gustav Schickedanz, Trainer: Michael Keogh, Jockey: Constant Montpellier
9 Double Malt by Whiskey Wisdom out of Matching Sox(Tale of the Cat) Own: M. Ambler and Partners, Trainer: Malcolm Pierce, Jockey: Eurico Rosa Da Silva
10 Woodsmoke by Langfuhr out of Forest Flute(Woodman) Own: Gustav Schickedanz, Trainer: Michael Keogh, Jockey: Tyler Pizarro
11 Tasty Temptation by Medaglia d'Oro out of Parisia(Tethra) Own: Woodford Racing L.L.C., Trainer: Mark Casse, Jockey: Patrick Husbands
The Skinny: Getting started, let's take a look at the ship-ins. Todd Pletcher will be sending out La Rocca, a grand-daughter of Awesome Again, who is very lightly raced to this point with only four starts under her belt. She must have showed promise to the renowned Pletcher as she will be facing a very tough group here. She was a winner in her last start in a maiden special weight event, where she posted a very nice 86 Beyer on the Keenland oval, going a mile and one-eighth, driving to the wire. She has hit the board three out of four times in her career, accumulating earnings of just over 40k. She may be in too tough here despite her very nice effort last time out.
The other southern invader is a very talented filly, Hooh Why, sent out by conditioner Ken Hoffman. She is returning to Woodbine after a very busy winter and spring that would see her race in Tampa, Santa Anita, Keenland, and Arlington Park. She is the most accomplished filly in the field with eleven races under her belt which includes wins in the Grade One Ashland Stakes at Keenland where she would exact revenge from a third place finish in the Santa Anita Oaks(Gr.I) by a head to champion filly Stardom Bound. She has a record of 3-1-1-1 here at Woodbine where she could not capture a win in a stakes event. She has accrued earnings of $477,627 lifetime and she has no problem with new riders as she will have her eighth jock in as many races. The horse to beat by far. Unsure whether she will stalk the leaders or be the leader as she was in the wire to wire win in the Ashland.
Gustav Schickedanz and Mike Keogh have two trainees going out in the La Lorgnette in '09. Politelyprecocious is a nice looking filly who really has improved since her two-year-old campaign. In two starts this season at Woodbine she has a third place finish and a win in her last start against maiden special weight company. Her Beyers have improved as she has come into this event and she should really like the two turns here as she has a closing speed that may see her pass rivals late down the stretch. This is a big test for her against multiple winners, just watching.
The other Keogh student is the impressive Woodsmoke, winner of the Fury Stakes on May 3rd, 2009. She is two for two lifetime, with earnings just over 100k. Woodsmoke really showed a lot of speed and endurance in the seven furlong Fury where she pulled rider Pizarro to the lead and would hold on until the wire. It may be too much distance in this event if she runs the same way as she did in the Fury. Pizarro will not want to fight with her, but, he will need something in reserve for the stretch run against this tough field. Should take a lot of money on the tote board, don't like the distance.
Another long time connection, Mark Casse and Woodford Racing LLC, come into this race with two fillies. The first is Closing Speed, a winner of her last two starts, and she is a nice looking individual but may be used as a rabbit here. She has never gone two turns and though she has an impressive record of 7-2-3-1 the distance may prove too much. Closing Speed has not put up very credible Beyers either, in comparison to her foes, and even though she has Patrick Husbands listed, don't expect him to be up on this day. Possible second calls could be Corey Fraser or even Simon Husbands as both have worked for the outfit in the past with some success.
The other Casse pupil is Tasty Temptation. She had raced at Santa Anita through the winter, where she would get her first win in maiden allowance company, with Patrick Husbands as her regular rider. Casse has said that he is quite high on the filly and she looks to be his Oaks hopeful here at the Toronto oval. She is 6-1-1-1 lifetime with earnings of $48,336 and finished fifth in her last start at Keenland in a non-winners of one, other than. Tasty Temptation has been working well up here since April and could be a threat here as she runs her best at two turns. Expect Husbands to take this call and don't think too much about the outside post as it shouldn't play as a factor for her.
Double Malt comes in here for conditioner Malcolm Pierce looking to improve from her last start in the Star Shoot Stakes, going six furlongs. The daughter of Whiskey Wisdom will certainly like the extra distance in this event as she is one for one at a mile and one-sixteenth, winning the South Ocean Stakes last November as a two-year-old. She posted a 76 Beyer in that race where she made a bid in the upper stretch, driving clear to win by five lengths. Eurico Rosa Da Silva is up and will be looking to continue his winning ways as he took the wire in the New Providence, aboard Stuck In Traffic, last Saturday afternoon. The right trip and she is a factor.
Milwaukee Appeal enters the La Lorgnette as a top choice after coming off her last start winning the Star Shoot which is a little shorter than she would really like. Trainer Fairlie is a high win percentage trainer and has this individual ready to go. She won at this distance last November, taking the Ontario Lassie Stakes, holding off foes late in the stretch. Regular rider Somsanith is up and this combo has accrued four wins and $277,855 lifetime. She is a consistent runner and has matured into a very strong and determined three-year-old. Second choice.
Reade Baker and Barb Minshall are looking to become the sole leaders in wins by a trainer for the La Lorgnette. Baker sends out Bear's Lightning, Sutherland up, and is looking for something positive here. This filly hasn't won yet this season in three tries and those races did not have the competition in which this race provides. She'll go off as a longshot and probably should stick to non-winners, other than, until she picks up her first win of '09. The fact that Da Silva has gone elsewhere in this race is a good indicator that Bear's Lightning is in a tough spot.
Minshall's filly Dance for Us had a poor outing in her first start off the shelf back on May 1st finishing fifth, ten and a half lengths back, in a non-winners, other than, allowance race. She does appear to have the abilities of a router, but, she will really need to come up big here against these rivals. Should get back to allowance class.
Gary Aimonetti is a hard working trainer who sends out a filly who will certainly have to work as hard, if not harder, than her trainer to get in the money here. Yukari has had a tough go in '09 with a zero for four start to the campaign. She has run all over the states and has come to Woodbine looking to improve from her winter drought. Her first race at the Toronto oval was promising against optional claiming, non-winners of two class horses, where she would cross the wire in fourth position after an awkward start. 7-2-0-2 lifetime, with just over 30k in earnings, Yukari finds herself in a very difficult race on this day.
My Picks: 6-3-11
Please feel free to leave your comments and picks for the 10th running of the La Lorgnette Stakes.
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