Even Field Heads Postward for Whimsical

An evenly-matched group of eight fillies and mares will go to post in the $150,000 Whimsical Stakes (Can-III) at Woodbine April 18.

Despite not having started since September, multiple stakes winner Sweater Weather was made the 121-pound starting highweight along with Executive Allure.

When last seen, Sweater Weather was an easy winner of the La Lorgnette Stakes at Woodbine Sept. 21, completing a season that saw her win three of seven starts for owner Frank DiGiulio Jr. and trainer Robert Tiller.

The 4-year-old daughter of Milwaukee Brew   also took the Eternal Search Stakes at Woodbine Aug. 2. All nine of her career starts have come at Woodbine, winning four times with earnings of $292,858 and hitting the board in every start.

Sweater Weather will be ridden by Patrick Husbands in Saturday's six-furlong contest over Woodbine's All-Weather Track, breaking from post 4.

Husbands will try to win the Whimsical for the fourth time in his career, having taken the 2000 edition with Barlee Mist, the 2006 running aboard Abounding Truth, and the 2012 heat with Roxy Gap.

Executive Allure, who is also seeking her first graded stakes score, drew the outside post in the eight-horse field.

The 4-year-old daughter of Bold Executive is seeking her third straight win, as she ended 2014 on a two-race win streak, taking the Jammed Lovely Stakes at Woodbine Nov. 8 before ending her campaign with an allowance victory at the same track Nov. 26.

In total, Executive Allure has won five of nine starts with earnings of $367,341 for owner William Sorokolit Sr., and was second in the 2014 Ontario Colleen Stakes (Can-III) at Woodbine.

Eurico Rosa Da Silva, who won the 2008 Whimsical aboard My List, has the mount in Saturday's heat.

Finishing second in the Jammed Lovely Stakes was Unspurned, who also makes her 2015 debut in the Whimsical Stakes for Hall of Fame trainer Roger Attfield and owner Christine Hayden.

This daughter of Lemon Drop Kid   has won three of 11 career starts, including the 2014 Bison City Stakes at Woodbine July 13.

Unspurned has been working steadily for her return at the Payson Park Training Center and at Keeneland, including a bullet move on April 4, where she covered five furlongs in 1:01. She will break from post 3 under jockey Alan Garcia carrying 119 pounds.

Stakes winners Silent Star and Wild Catomine will both also carry 119 pounds breaking from the rail and post 2, respectively.