2017 E.P Taylor Stakes Preview, Entries & Odds

OffTrackBetting.com – Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario will be the scene of the G1 E.P. Taylor Stakes on Sunday, October 15. Fillies and mares three years old and upward will be featured when they take to Woodbine’s turf track and race 1 1/4 miles for the winner’s share of the $500,000 purse.

A strong field of nine will line up in the EP Taylor Stakes – race 9 on Woodbine’s stacked Sunday schedule. Post time is 5:28 PM. Here is a peek into the past performances of all nine combatants for this competitive G1 stakes.

2017 E.P Taylor Stakes Entries at Woodbine Racetrack

Kitten’s Roar

Michael Maker trained mare has placed in 14 of 17 career starts – six wins, six seconds and two third-place finishes. Last time out was a win in the listed Ramsey Farms Stakes at Kentucky Downs September 14 which followed a fifth in the G1 Beverly D. Stakes at Arlington August 12, a third in the G2 New York Stakes at Belmont Park June 9 and a OK fourth in the G1 Jenny Wiley Stakes at Keeneland April 15. Before that was an OK second in the minor Daisy Devine Stakes February 25, a nice win in the minor Marie G. Krantz Memorial Stakes January 21 – both at Fair Grounds and consecutive seconds including the minor Blushing KD Stakes on that track in December and the G3 Cardinal Handicap at Churchill Downs in November. Kitten’s Roar has been a tad inconsistent the last 18 months and is still in search of a first graded stakes score. Jockey Jose Ortiz will try to deliver that from the rail.

Fourstar Crook

Up-and-coming Chad Brown trained mare has nine wins and two second-place finishes in her 13 career starts. She enters off a good win in the minor John Hettinger Stakes at Belmont Park September 24, an OK second in the minor Yaddo Stakes at Saratoga August 25 and a terrific eight-race win streak including her only graded stakes action to date – the G3 Dr. James Penny Memorial Stakes at Parx July 4, the minor Mount Vernon Stakes at Belmont Park May 29, the minor John Hettinger Stakes on that track September 25, the minor Yaddo Stakes at Saratoga August 26 and three straight Allowance races. Fourstar Crook has nine wins and a second-place finish in her last 10 starts overall – competitive as anyone in the division and looks to keep and impressive run going Sunday. Javier Castellano will be in the saddle from gate 2.

Quidura

Consistent, lightly raced British bred Graham Motion trained filly will race for the ninth time Sunday having posted four wins, two seconds and a third-place finish so far. Last time out was a nice win on this track in the G2 Canadian Stakes September 16 which followed a decent second behind the terrific Lady Eli after leading most of the way in the G1 Diana Stakes at Saratoga July 22, an OK second in the G2 New York Stakes at Belmont Park June 9, a quality third behind Dickinson and Lady Eli in the G1 Jenny Wiley Stakes at Keeneland April 15, a terrific win in the G3 Pin Oak Valley View Stakes on that track October 21 and an Allowance score at Belmont Park last September 18 in her North American debut. Before that was a tenth in a Group 3 race in Germany last April and a Maiden score at first asking at Baden Baden in September, 2015. Quidura has been good so far in her career and has placed in her last six starts overall. She tries to build on a nice win on this very track when she leaves from post 3 with Junior Alvarado aboard.

Rainha Da Bateria

Defending fifth-place finisher in this race – Chad Brown trained mare has four wins, four seconds and to third-place finishes in 20 career starts. She arrives off a fourth in the G1 Beverly D. Stakes at Arlington August 12, a nice win in the G2 Dance Smartly Stakes at Woodbine July 2, a fourth in the G3 Beaugay Stakes at Belmont Park May 14 and seven months away. Before the layoff was a fifth in the G1 EP Taylor Stakes at Woodbine in October and a win in the G2 Canadian Stakes. Other good results include a win in the 2014 G3 Jessamine Stakes, and three second-place finishes in 2016 – the G2 Mrs. Revere Stakes, the G3 Suwannee River Stakes and the G2 Churchill Distaff Turf Mile. Rainha Da Bateria has failed to place in three of her last four starts overall but has two graded stakes wins in her last five. She tries to make it two GS wins in three starts Sunday when she departs from gate 4 with Julien Leparoux guiding her.

Sassy Little Lila

Brad Cox trained filly has 10 career starts with three wins and five runner-ups. Last time out was a respectable second in the G3 Noble Damsel Stakes at Belmont Park September 23 after an underwhelming fifth in the G1 Fourstardave Handicap at Saratoga August 12, a second in the G1 Just a Game Stakes at Belmont Park June 10, an Allowance Optional Claiming score at Churchill Downs May 20 and a good second in her graded stakes debut – the G1 American Oaks December 31. Before that was a second in the minor Winter Memories Stakes at Aqueduct in November and two straight Allowance Optional Claiming scores – the last coming in October. Outside of one bad outing two starts back, Sassy Little Lila has been competitive every time out but has yet to record a stakes win. Florent Geroux will try to get that win from post 5.

Nezwaah

Defending seventh-place finisher in this race – British bred Roger Varian trained filly has five wins, a second and a third-place finish in 10 career starts. She arrives off an OK fourth in the Group 1 Darley Yorkshire Oaks in Britain August 24 which followed two good wins overseas – the Group 1 Pretty Polly Stakes July 2 and the Rothesay Stakes in May. Before that was her seventh in the 2016 edition of this race, a second in the 2016 John Musker Stakes a fifth in the Group 2 Prix de la Nonette Stakes August 23, 2016 and a good win in the Hoppings Stakes at Newcastle in June of last year. Nezwaah makes just her second North American start having been very competitive the last 18 months overseas. Andrea Atzeni gets the call from gate 6.

Rain Goddess

Irish bred Aidan O’Brien trained filly has two wins, three seconds and a third-place finish in her 10 career starts. Last time out was an OK third in the Group 2 Blandford Stakes at home September 10 after a good win in the Group 3 Snow Fairy Stakes August 27 and an eighth in her only North American start – the G1 Beverly D. Stakes at Arlington August 12. She posted three straight runner-up finishes before that in stakes races in Europe including the Group 1 Irish Oaks and Group 1 Pretty Polly Stakes – both at Curragh in July. Rain Goddess has placed in five of her last six starts ahead of this weekend and shoots for a first North American score. Ryan Moore has been tabbed to ride from gate 7.

Blond Me

Irish bred Andrew Balding trained mare has hit the board in 10 of her 16 career starts – five wins and five runner-up finishes. She finished second in the 2015 G2 Sands Point Stakes and was sixth in the G1 QE II Challenge Cup at Keeneland that year and returns to North America for the first time since that race. Last time out was an eleventh in the Group 1 Qatar Prix Vermeille in France September 10 after a respectable second in the Group 1 Qatar Nassau Stakes in Britain August 3 and a nice win in the Group 2 Betfred Middleton Stakes at York in May. She also won the Group 2 International Topkapi Trophy in Turkey in September, 2016. Blond Me has had success all over the world and will be out to bounce back off an underwhelming effort Sunday. She shoots for a first North American score from gate 8 with Oisin Murphy scheduled to ride.

Puca

Bill Mott trained mare has just four wins in 16 career starts to go along with two seconds and a third-place finish. She arrives on the heels of a nice win in the minor Steve Pini Memorial Stakes at Suffolk Downs September 2, a fifth in an Allowance Optional Claiming at Saratoga August 12 and a win, a second and a sixth respectively in a trio of Allowance races earlier this year – the win came at Belmont Park June 24. Puca had four graded stakes starts in 2014/2015 and placed in just one – a second in the G2 Gazelle Stakes at Aqueduct. She looks for her first graded stakes score Saturday and enters in so-so form. Joel Rosario has the mount from the outside post 9.