Lorena Begins Season Against Crack Field in Whimsical
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Photo: Woodbine/Michael Burns Photo
Lorena takes the 2021 Thunder Bay Stakes at Woodbine
Seven fillies and mares, including multiple stakes winner Lorena , are set to race in the CA$150,000 Whimsical Stakes (G3) at Woodbine May 8. The Whimsical is a six-furlong dash over the track's synthetic Tapeta surface.
Trained by Stuart Simon, who co-owns the filly with Brent McLellan, Russell McLellan, and Kai Olguin, the 4-year-old daughter of Souper Speedy arrives at Sunday's sprint feature on a two-race win streak.
"She's doing really well," said Simon. "She had a nice little vacation in Ocala and then started training there in the middle of January. She's coming along nicely. She's been back home here at Woodbine since the last week of March."
The Ontario-bred dark bay, who finished fifth in the Duchess Stakes in September, capped off her excellent 2021 campaign with victories in the Thunder Bay and Ashbridges Bay Stakes, giving Lorena five wins from seven starts on the season.
"She was impressive for various reasons," praised Simon. "When she went through the (Woodbine) Oaks grind, came through that, won the (Algoma) Stakes, and then went on to show such versatility in winning the stakes race (Thunder Bay) on the grass, then one at two turns (Ashbridges Bay)—she just never disappointed. It's hard to pick one race that stood out above the others. It was about her overall versatility, racing over different surfaces and at different distances, along with her grit and determination, which comes to mind. She wants to win wherever she runs."
Simon is still trying to figure out what surface and what distance suits his star best.
"We'll see where this takes us. Because of her versatility, I have to be honest, I'm not quite sure what she's very best at, whether it's seven-eighths on the main track or she may be a miler on the turf. We've got a lot of options with her. This is a starting point to see what direction we go in."
The path the six-time winner from eight starts eventually takes includes plans for Lorena's life after the racetrack.
"She's got the restricted stuff, but for her broodmare value, we'd like to hopefully get some open status, and graded status. She seems to be going in this race in good order, so we'll see where this takes us, which road we go down from here."
Lorena is a 10-1 shot on the morning line, behind 9-5 Boardroom , 2-1 Artie's Princess , 4-1 Dreaming of Drew , and 6-1 Our Secret Agent .
Dreaming of Drew has the benefit of a race this spring, having won the Long Branch Stakes last month at Woodbine.
Both Boardroom and Artie's Princess wintered in South Florida, and are each five-time winners at Woodbine. Boardroom went 2-for-2 at Woodbine last year with one of her victories coming in the Whimsical.
Woodbine, Sunday, May 08, 2022, Race 6Entries: Whimsical S. (G3)
PP
Horse
Jockey
Wgt
Trainer
M/L
1
1Lorena (ON)
Gary Boulanger
125
Stuart C. Simon
10/1
2
2Dreaming of Drew (ON)
Patrick Husbands
121
Barbara J. Minshall
4/1
3
3Dirty Dangle (KY)
Rafael Manuel Hernandez
119
Mark E. Casse
12/1
4
4Artie's Princess (ON)
Reylu Gutierrez
119
Saffie A. Joseph, Jr.
2/1
5
5Boardroom (KY)
Luis Contreras
123
Josie Carroll
9/5
6
6Our Secret Agent (KY)
Kazushi Kimura
121
Mark E. Casse
6/1
7
7Millennium Force (ON)
Antonio A. Gallardo
119
Martin Drexler
20/1
