Hoop of Colour Can Keep Rolling in Canadian

Since relocating from England, Flaxman Holdings' homebred Hoop of Colour hasn't had a misfire, and she will look to keep her unblemished North American record intact in the $300,000 Canadian Stakes (Can-IIT) Sept 13 at Woodbine.



The Canadian Stakes is a Breeders' Cup Challenge "Win and You're In" event for the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (gr. IT).



The 4-year-old Distorted Humor   filly won her North American debut in a Santa Anita Park allowance/optional claiming event in February, and then took the Santa Ana Stakes (gr. IIT) at Santa Anita in March. She's been off since then, but has trained steadily for trainer Graham Motion at Fair Hill Training Center in Elkton, Md. in recent months. The Canadian Stakes is at the same 1 1/8-mile distance as the Santa Ana.



BALAN: Hoop of Colour Claims Santa Ana Stakes



Listed as the 4-1 second choice on the morning line, Hoop of Colour may be facing her toughest opponent yet Sunday in John Unger's homebred Strut the Course, last year's Sovereign Award winner as  Champion Older Mare. A winner two back in the Dance Smartly Stakes (Can-IIT), Strut the Course finished second in the Ontario Matron Stakes (Can-III) to fellow Canadian runner Uchenna over Woodbine's synthetic main track.



NOVAK: Uchenna Closes to Ontario Matron Victory



It was Uchenna's first graded score, but Strut the Course's return to turf has her as the 5-2 morning-line favorite. Strut the Course tops the field with $728,615 in earnings.



Personal Diary and Overheard also provide back class with graded credentials, but both have been on extended winless streaks in stakes competition. Personal Diary took the Del Mar Oaks (gr. IT) in 2014, but is 0-for-6 in graded stakes since, while Overheard has the 2014 Dance Smartly and 2013 Pin Oak Valley Vie Stakes (gr. IIIT) on her résumé. Llanarmon is the only other graded winner in the field (2013 Natalma Stakes, Can-IIT)



Completing the field is Bear's Pride, a former claimer who won the Victoriana Stakes last time out at Woodbine; Habibi, a New Zealand-bred who struggled in Southern California but took the Flaming Page Stakes last time out at Woodbine; stakes-placed Button Down; and allowance winners Ticking Katie and Copper Kitten.