Race #7 Star Shoot Stakes $125,000 6 Furlongs Tapeta 3-year-oldFillies Top Contenders: #5 Jill Jitterbug (3-1) has been running since January at Turfway Park with her last three races in stakes competition. She ran second to Botanical by six-plus lengths. Botanical has since come back to win the Bourbonette Oaks and will line up in the Kentucky Oaks. Jill Jitterbug ran a strong second cutting back in distance just missing in the Serena’s Song and has never been worse than second over the distance and has the winter racing edge in her favour. #7 Strokes (10-1) was solid in winning her 2023 debut at Gulfstream, however struggled at Turfway pressing the pace, and was distanced by 17 lengths. She gets back on Lasix now and returns to Woodbine where she put together two very good races in the Fall before being put away for the year. She is now making the third start of her campaign which is an angle I like. Expect a rebound effort from her at a nice price with Emma-Jayne Wilson back up. Strokes and jockey Emma-Jayne Wilson winning on the Woodbine Tapeta on September 24, 2022 (Michael Burns Photo) #1 Collecting Flatter (5-2). Toss her race at Turfway in April. For whatever reason, she was just not involved that day. She gets back on Lasix and returns home and to a course that she is undefeated over. There doesn’t appear to be much speed in this race and this filly has won her three races in front-running fashion. If she gets an uncontested lead, look for her to take this wire-to-wire. Collecting Flatter and jockey Luis Contreras winning the 2022 Glorious Song Stakes at Woodbine (Michael Burns Photo) #3 Kavala (8-1) is an undefeated filly making her Woodbine debut. She started her career at Gulfstream and looks to be improving as she takes on stakes company for the first time. She gets more ground to work with which is conducive to her running style. She had really nice work over the surface on April 16 in preparation for this spot. Kavala at Woodbine (photo courtesy of Bill Tharrenos) Longshot Play: # 4 Dolce Sopresa (20-1) is a hard-trying filly who finally broke her maiden in her last race of the season after a few tough losses, and it just happened to be at this distance. Attabe, who she beat in that last race, came back to run a solid second in her seasonal bow. She has only finished out of the top-two once, and that was at 7 furlongs and with a different jockey. Justin Stein is back up for her 2023 debut. Dolce Sopresa and jockey Justin Stein winning on the Woodbine Tapeta on December 9, 2022 (Michael Burns Photo) My Plays: Jill Jitterbug is on top in my exacta 5/7,4,3. I’m hoping for a price to come in underneath, and will use Collecting Flatter in my P4 in case she steals it on the front. Late P4 Starting Race 7: 5,7,1/1,3,5/2/3,4,9 Good luck everyone and enjoy the first stakes race of the 2023 season… it’s a competitive one! By Sheri Riddoch /@gofilly for Woodbine Communications Share This:Share
