Woodbine Oaks winner Neshama to continue filly Triple Tiara pursuit

TORONTO – It’s clear to trainer Catherine Day Phillips that Neshama understands she has a race to run this weekend.

“She’s putting her racing face on,” Phillips said Friday of her prized filly. “She’s a little snappier and sharper.

“It’s natural for horses that during their down time they’re a little cuddlier but when they get close to racing they’re a little more focused and get a little more aggressive, which she is.”

Neshama will chase a third straight win Sunday in the $250,000 Bison City Stakes, second jewel of the Canadian filly Triple Tiara, at Woodbine Racetrack. Neshama captured the first event, the $500,000 Woodbine Oaks on June 12, in dramatic fashion, edging favourite Gamble’s Ghost by a nose as a 15-1 longshot.

Yet Neshama is the early 2/1 second choice for Sunday’s race. Caren, third in the Oaks, is the 9/5 favourite.

One explanation could be the betting public liking Caren’s speed in the 1 1/16-mile Bison Stakes. Caren led the 1 1/8-mile Oaks late and appeared headed for the win before tiring and finishing behind Neshama and Gamble’s Ghost.

The field Sunday with post, horse, jockey and odds:

1. Crumlin Spirit, David Moran, 5-1; 2. Meadow Rose, Emma-Jayne Wilson, 10-1; 3. Tiz Imaginary, Patrick Husbands, 10-1; 4. Caren, Jesse Campbell, 9-5; 5. Neshama, Eurico Rosa da Silva, 2-1; 6. Trini Brewnette, Alan Garcia, 6-1; 7. String Bikini, Rafael Hernandez, 20-1.

And although Sunday’s field will feature five Oaks starters, Gamble’s Ghost won’t run after finishing seventh in last weekend’s $1-million Queen’s Plate, the first leg of the Canadian Triple Crown, at Woodbine.

Day Phillips said she and Neshama’s handlers contemplated running in the Plate but opted against it because there was only three weeks between it and the Oaks.

“The Oaks was a little hard on her,” Day Phillips said. “She lost a shoe in the race, got kind of cut up a little bit and ran very hard.

“Did we toy with it? Sure but that would’ve been pushing it just because she did run so hard. We backed off on her and decided not to go to the Queen’s Plate and gave her a week at our farm enjoying some fresh air and sunshine. We thought about what was best for the horse and I think it was good for her.”

Neshama breezed four furlongs Saturday in 49 seconds flat in her final prep for Sunday’s race.

“Eurico was on her and was very pleased with her and thought she felt well and ready go,” said Day Phillips. “She’s happy and she’s in good order and that’s the main thing.”

And fortunately, neither Da Silva nor Day Phillips are the worst for wear. Two days prior to the Oaks, Neshama showed she was in race mode by biting her trainer’s leg.

“She’s a very elegant filly,” Day Phillips said. “But she’s got a certain toughness to her and she’s starting to get that kind of toughness coming into this race, which is good.”

Neshama is looking to become just the second winner of the Triple Tiara since its inception in 1999. Sealy Hill remains the only overall champion, achieving the feat in 2007.

Sealy Hill was Canada’s horse of the year in ’07 and inducted into the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame in 2013.

The third leg of the Triple Tiara is the $250,000 Wonder Where Stakes turf event Aug. 7 at Woodbine.