Caitlinhergrtness Looks to Bounce Back in Trillium

2024 Sovereign Award champion 3-year-old filly Caitlinhergrtness  returns to the synthetic in hopes of reclaiming her top form in the July 26 CA$150,000 Trillium Stakes (G3) at Woodbine. 

Despite finishing a nonthreatening eighth in the June 28 Nassau Stakes (G2T) on the turf, Caitlinhergrtness has been listed as the 4-5 favorite in the field of six fillies and mares, 3-year-olds and up, going 1 1/16 miles on the main track. Ahead of her Nassau effort, the daughter of Omaha Beach   had opened her season with a dominating five-length score in Woodbine's Belle Mahone Stakes (G3).

Jockey Rafael Hernandez, who piloted the filly to her historic win in last year's King's Plate Stakes over males, has the call. 

Kevin Attard trains Caitlinhergrtness for WinStar Farm. Attard will also saddle multiple graded stakes winner Fashionably Fab , a narrowly beaten third in the 2024 Trillium, for Terra Racing Stable. 

Two mares reopposing Caitlinhergrtness in the Trillium include Belle Mahone runner-up For Flying , a group 1 winner in her native Brazil, and C2 Racing Stable's Literate , fourth in the Belle Mahone. 

"I really like the way she is coming into this," trainer Martin Drexler said of Literate. "I have always liked her. The key is to have her come over to the paddock and be chill, which she did last time. She can get wound up at times, but if you can get her settled enough, she usually runs a really good race. And she is great right now.

"She has enough quality, so we hope we can get her a stakes win that we feel she deserves."

A three-time winner at Woodbine, Literate defeated 2023 champion 2-year-old filly and Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) heroine Just F Y I  in a highly competitive Gulfstream Park allowance contest in March.

Pretty Lavish Vies for Breakthrough Score in Ontario Colleen

A bridesmaid in her last two starts for trainer Graham Motion, Pretty Lavish  has an excellent chance to add the title of black-type stakes winner next to her name in Saturday's CA$150,000 Ontario Colleen Stakes (G3T). 

Owned by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Bobby Flay, who purchased the Ribchester  filly after her debut victory in Ireland as a 2-year-old, Pretty Lavish was most recently a game second in the Boiling Springs Stakes and Hilltop Stakes. She earned a career-best 100 Equibase Speed Figure in the Hilltop on Black-Eyed Susan day.

Local rider Ryan Munger has the mount.

Pretty Lavish has been cross-entered in the Lake George Stakes (G3T) Saturday at Saratoga Race Course.

Impressive local debut winners Boca Queen , a $423,720 buy at Goffs owned by Repole Stable, and the Lope de Vega   filly Lupa  should be interesting horses to watch in their first foray against stakes company.