Lexie Lou Takes On Elders in Canadian

Gary Barber's Lexie Lou, who has run her way through the 3-year-old Canadian-bred competition, steps out to take on older rivals Sept. 14 in the Canadian Stakes (Can-IIT) at Woodbine. The nine-furlong Canadian is part of a deep racing card at Woodbine featuring the Ricoh Woodbine Mile (Can-IT).



The Canadian, worth $300,000, has added value as a Breeders' Cup "Win and You're In" race for the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (gr. IT), giving the winner waived pre-entry and entry fees along with a travel stipend.



Lexie Lou, a bay filly by Sligo Bay  —Oneexcessivenite, by In Excess, ran away with the Woodbine Oaks June 15 and returned three weeks later to defeat the boys in the Queen's Plate, both on the Polytrack surface. She then made her turf debut in the 1 1/4-mile Wonder Where Stakes against Ontario-breds in which she won by three lengths over Skylander Girl. Alexander Patykewich's Skylander Girl (by Stroll  ) will break from the hedge in the Canadian as the only other 3-year-old in the field.



Lexie Lou is trained by Mark Casse and has put in a pair of five-furlong drills since the Wonder Where, her latest coming Sept. 7 in 1:00 2/5 breezing over the Polytrack.



Breaking from post 2, Lexie Lou won't have to look far for competition. Breaking from post 3 will be Sam-Son Farm's Deceptive Vision, a well-bred 4-year-old filly who has placed in grade II company on turf in her past two starts. By A.P. Indy, the homebred is out of Eye of the Sphynx and is a full sister to 2009 Queen's Plate winner and champion Eye of the Leopard   and multiple grade II-placed Hotep, runner-up in the 2010 Queen's Plate.



Deceptive Vision was pipped by Overheard while on the front end last time out in the nine-furlong Dance Smartly Stakes (Can-IIT), losing by a nose.



Four-year-old Savvy Hester was third in the Dance Smartly and followed that with a second-place finish in the 1 1/2-mile Flaming Page Stakes as the 7-5 choice Aug. 23.



Salvador Hernandez's La Tia and Jim and Susan Hill's Solid Appeal hold the class edge in the Canadian.



A easy winner by 6 1/4 lengths of the Ontario Matron Stakes (Can-IIIT) going 1 1/16 miles July  26, La Tia (by City Place) took on the best and performed well, finishing fourth in the Beverly D. Stakes (gr. IT) on the Arlington Million Stakes (gr. IT) undercard in Chicago. She won the Arlington Matron Stakes (gr. III) on Polytrack earlier in the year.



The Hills' Solid Appeal won the one-mile Nassau Stakes (Can-IIT) in the spring and gave a good showing against Somali Lemonade and crew while finishing fifth, beaten just two lengths, in the TVG Diana Stakes (gr. IT) July 19 at Saratoga.