Woodbine Oaks Could Put Bold Script Back on Track

After a rough beginning in her last start, the connections of Bold Script are looking for a big effort from the filly, who was made the 5-2 morning-line favorite, in the $500,000 Woodbine Oaks Presented by Budweiser June 8 at Woodbine.

The Oaks attracted 10 Canadian-foaled 3-year-old fillies carrying 121 pounds in the 1 1/8-mile race over the Tapeta track.

Bold Script, trained by Stuart Simon for owner/breeder Chiefswood Stable, comes into the Oaks off a third-place finish in the May 18 Selene Stakes (G3) going 1 1/16 miles over the same course. That effort proved eventful for the daughter of Speightstown .

"She bumped her head in the gate and that definitely affected her," Simon said. "The good thing is that she's regrouped well and trained well after that. I expect her to run a big race on Saturday."

As a 2-year-old, Bold Script broke her maiden on debut by a neck in a six-furlong turf event for fillies at Woodbine. She followed that up with three credible efforts in stakes, including a third-place run in the grade 1 Natalma Stakes at one mile on the turf. She won her first stakes in her fifth start, taking the Nov. 4 Princess Elizabeth Stakes at 1 1/16 miles on the all-weather course by 7 1/2 lengths.

While she hasn't won since that curtain-closing effort of her 2-year-old campaign, finishing fifth in the March 2 Davona Dale Stakes (G2) at Gulfstream Park in her season debut, Simon believes his filly will be at the top of her game in the Oaks.

"She's been doing great all around, and I do think she will run a big, big race," he said. "I think she's just got good tactical speed, but she doesn't need the lead, which means she can be placed wherever the pace dictates. That's a big thrill. She's not one-dimensional. She doesn't need the lead and she doesn't need a hot pace up front to come from way back. She can do what you want her to do. That's probably her biggest asset."

Bold Script will be ridden by Gary Boulanger from post 9 in the 10-horse field.

Among the other contenders are the Mark Casse-trained trio of Hastalavistababy, who finished second in both the Dec. 9 Ontario Lassie and May 12 Fury Stakes her last two starts; Fury Stakes winner Speedy Soul, who has won three of four starts; and, Selene Stakes runner-up Preferred Guest.

Princess Elizabeth Stakes runner-up Lady Azalea will also join the field, breaking from the rail for trainer Roger Attfield.

The Woodbine Oaks is the first leg of the Canadian Triple Tiara, which continues with the June 30 Bison City Stakes at 1 1/16 miles and concludes with the Aug. 10 Wonder Where Stakes over 1 1/4 miles on the E.P. Taylor Turf Course.

Casse, who has two Queen's Plate crowns on his outstanding training résumé, also sends out the battle-tested Federal Law in Saturday's $125,000 Plate Trial Stakes, a traditional prep for Canada's most famous race, the $1 million 'Gallop for the Guineas,' scheduled for June 29.

A three-time winner from 10 starts, Federal Law, who began his racing career in the United Kingdom, enters the 1 1/8-mile Plate Trial off a score in the May 19 Queenston Stakes at Woodbine.

For veteran rider Boulanger, the tough trip in the Queenston showed him that Federal Law, who drew the rail at morning-line odds of 9-5, has plenty of grit.

"What stood out the most was him getting banged around so badly and then once he got his feet back under him and got some room, he hit a couple gears pretty quickly," said Boulanger of the son of Scat Daddy bred by the Jim Dandy Stable. "I thought I had a lot of horse, but then we got bounced around. We stalled a bit and then he got going again. He's a very nice horse."

Casse is happy with how the horse has developed since the beginning of the year.

"I've said it all along, that it's not a bad thing for these horses to learn, especially when you're running in prep races," Casse said. "He's well-seasoned, that's for sure. He's an interesting horse. I really thought he grew up over the winter.

"When we took him to Turfway (March 9 for the Rushaway Stakes), I really expected him to win," he continued. "He just had a really rough trip and finished ninth. So, we sent him back to Ocala to regroup with him."

Avie's Flatter, the Queen's Plate winter book favorite at odds of 3-1, will bypass the Plate Trial and train up to the Plate instead.

All nine Plate Trial starters will carry 126 pounds, the same weight they'll carry if they contest the 1 1/4-mile Queen's Plate. 

Also on tap Saturday is the inaugural running of the $100,00 William D. Graham Memorial Stakes, a 6-1/2-furlong turf race named in honor of the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame member, Thoroughbred breeder, and builder, who passed away at the age of 81 in January.

Entries: Woodbine Oaks Presented by Budweiser

Woodbine, Saturday, June 08, 2019, Race 9

• STK
• 1 1/8m
• All Weather Track
• $500,000
• 3 yo Fillies
• 5:51 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Lady Azalea (ON)	Rafael Manuel Hernandez	121	Roger L. Attfield	20/1
2	2Falcon's View (ON)	Michelle Rainford	121	Scott H. Fairlie	30/1
3	3Preferred Guest (ON)	Jerome Lermyte	121	Mark E. Casse	10/1
4	4Desert Ride (ON)	Steven Ronald Bahen	121	Neil J. Howard	6/1
5	5Speedy Soul (ON)	Patrick Husbands	121	Mark E. Casse	7/2
6	6Artilena (ON)	Emma-Jayne Wilson	121	Catherine Day Phillips	10/1
7	7Intanga Rose (ON)	Eurico Rosa Da Silva	121	Sid C. Attard	4/1
8	8Hastalavistababy (ON)	Luis Contreras	121	Mark E. Casse	8/1
9	9Bold Script (ON)	Gary Boulanger	121	Stuart C. Simon	5/2
10	10Souciologist (ON)	Alan Garcia	121	Kevin Attard	20/1

Entries: Plate Trial S.

Woodbine, Saturday, June 08, 2019, Race 8

• STK
• 1 1/8m
• All Weather Track
• $125,000
• 3 yo
• 5:16 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Federal Law (ON)	Gary Boulanger	126	Mark E. Casse	9/5
2	2Rising Star (ON)	Justin Stein	126	Michael P. De Paulo	20/1
3	3Pay for Peace (ON)	Luis Contreras	126	Rachel Halden	20/1
4	4Hesathriller (ON)	Leo Salles	126	John A. Ross	20/1
5	5Dun Drum (ON)	Emma-Jayne Wilson	126	Ian Black	5/2
6	6Moon Swings (ON)	Jesse M. Campbell	126	Michael P. De Paulo	8/1
7	7The Newfie Express (ON)	Kazushi Kimura	126	Alexander P. Patykewich	20/1
8	8Jammin Still (ON)	Patrick Husbands	126	Kevin Attard	3/1
9	9Krachenwagen (ON)	Jeffrey Ian Alderson	126	Angus Buntain	20/1