Wide-open Woodbine Oaks presented by Budweiser part of stakes-filled Sunday card

Lorena and Jilli Marie will put their respective unbeaten records on the line in the $500,000 Woodbine Oaks presented by Budweiser, one of four stakes on Sunday’s 11-race card at Woodbine.

Inaugurated in 1956, the filly classic, which has attracted 10 Canadian-foaled three-year-old fillies carrying 121 pounds over one mile and one-eighth on the Tapeta, will go postward as race eight at approximately 4:46 p.m. The winning connections will receive $300,000.

Sunday’s card also features the $150,000 Plate Trial Stakes, a key race ahead of the Queen’s Plate (August 22), the Grade 2 $175,000 Royal North Stakes, and Grade 3 $150,000 Vigil Stakes.

Lorena, a daughter of Souper Speedy-Negotiable, will look to keep her winning ways intact in the Oaks. Trained by Stuart Simon, who co-owns with Brent and Russell McLellan, and former jockey Gerry Olguin, the dark bay is three-for-three in her career, including a front-running score in the Fury Stakes on July 10 at Woodbine.

Bred by Dr. Liam Gannon, Lorena made her debut last November at Woodbine in a 5 ½- furlong main track event.

Leaving the gate as the 5-1 second choice in the field of 12, Lorena, under Rafael Hernandez, was 3 ½-lengths in front at the stretch call, and went on to record an easy 7 ½-length victory in 1:04.26.

“She indicated she could be good first-time out,” recalled Olguin, who gallops the horse. “You had the sense from the mornings works. She was always very calm and when she ran that first race, she ran very impressively.”

In the Fury, Lorena led the field of Canadian-bred fillies through a quarter in :23.57 and half-mile :46.82, and held her challengers at bay to win the seven-furlong sprint in 1:23.94 with Gary Boulanger in the irons.

Boulanger, inducted into the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame in 2020, will look to win his second Oaks, 20 years after guiding Sam-Son star Dancethruthedawn to victory in both the Oaks and Queen’s Plate.