Flipcup Looks to Continue Synthetic Streak

By Will Robbins

Flipcup looks to continue her winning ways July 17 at Woodbine Racetrack in the $150,000 Ontario Matron Stakes (Can-III), the second start of her 5-year-old campaign.

The synthetic specialist made an emphatic return to racing for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott May 28 at Arlington Park, winning her seasonal debut in the Arlington Matron Stakes (gr. III). The bay Milwaukee Brew mare sustained a three-wide bid to hold off Lothenbach Stables' No Fault of Mine by a neck, improving her all-weather record to 5-1-1 in seven starts on that surface. She has won her last three races over synthetic tracks—a listed stake and two grade III events. Of the nine starters for the 1 1/16-mile Ontario Matron, Flipcup is the only graded stakes winner. She is well-suited racing at Woodbine, where she broke her maiden at first asking and immediately won an allowance in 2013. She has never finished off the board there, going 4-1-1 in six previous Woodbine outs, including the 2015 Maple Leaf Stakes (Can-III).

ANGST: Flipcup Resolute in Arlington Matron Win

Pheonix Racing's Hot Kiss will test graded stakes waters for the first time Sunday. Winner of five consecutive races, the late-running filly was most recently victorious in the $100,000 Trillium Stakes at Woodbine. She worked five furlongs in 1:00:80 on July 10 at Woodbine for trainer Michael De Paulo.  

"She's training really well," said De Paulo. "It's a come-from-behind track, which fits her well. She's worked the best she's ever worked leading up to this race—third off the layoff, I think she's sitting on a good one." 

Highland Yard's tenured turf runner Miss Chatelaine will make her second start off an eight-month layoff after finishing 3rd in an optional claiming race June 23 over the Belmont Park outer turf. Christophe Clement's 4-year-old daughter of Pulpit has never ventured beyond the grass.

In a race that lacks speed on paper, Sam-son Farm's Moon Rainbow figures to be on the lead. We last saw her on the turf running 4th, beaten 1 1/4 lengths, in the Nassau Stakes (CAN-II) at Woodbine. Trainer Malcolm Pierce won the 2007 edition with She's Indy Money.