BY BROCK SHERIDAN
A multiple stakes winner this winter and graded stakes placed in May, Florida-bred Tessellate looks to return to her top form in her first try on synthetic in the CA$175,000 Ontario Fashion presented by Tanqueray (Grade 3) at Woodbine on Saturday. The sophomore Florida-bred takes on nine other fillies and mares, 3-years-old and older in the six furlong affair.
Tessellate was a 13-length winner of the $75,000 Juvenile Fillies Sprint at Gulfstream Park in the last start of her 2-year-old campaign in December then won went cross-state to Tampa Bay Downs on January 10 to win the $120,000 Gasparilla by nearly three lengths. Three weeks later, she was sixth in the Grade 3 Forward Gal at Gulfstream on January 31 but rebounded to win the $98,000 Stonehedge Farm South Sophomore Fillies by nearly five lengths against Florida-breds, back at Tampa Bay Downs on March 29.
A good second in the six-furlong Miss Preakness (G3) at Laurel Park followed on May 15 but she tired in her next start, finishing out of the money in the Grade 3 Victory Ride at Saratoga Race Course on July 10. In her last race, she was fourth in the Grade 2 Charles Town Oaks going seven furlongs on August 28.
Tessellate has earned $300,110 for owners Magic Cap Stable, Paul Braverman, Timothy Pinch, breeder Castle Gate Farm, BAG Racing Stable, Jonathan Reinhardt and the Thoroughbred Acquisition Group, winning four of 10 career starts with two seconds and a third.
She is by McKinzie out of Shotdowninflames, by Trappe Shot and will be ridden from stall eight by Rasheed Hughes. They are 20-1 on the morning line.
Creed’s Gold, winner of the Grade 3 Hendrie for the second time over the Woodbine all-weather course last out on July 25, is the 2-1 morning line favorite.
Trained by Mark Casse for Kristin Meldal, Creed’s Gold won the $100,000 Lightning City sprinting five furlongs on the Tampa Bay Downs grass on February 14 and was second in the five-and-a-half-furlong Giant’s Causeway (G2) on the Keeneland turf on April 12. She was then third in the Grade 2 Unbridled Sidney over five-and-a-half-furlongs on the turf at Churchill Downs on May 1 and sixth in the Grade 2 Intercontinental at the same distance on the grass at Saratoga on June 4.
By Jimmy Creed out of Foxyfromfairbanks, by Fairbanks, Creed’s Gold has earned $516,264 from six wins, three seconds and three thirds in 16 career races.
Rafael Hernandez has the call on Creed’s Gold from the far outside starting position.
Also set for the Ontario Fashion are Minimum Forty with jockey Daisuke Fukumoto, Sea Runner and rider Fraser Aebly, Edwin Gonzalez takes the call on Ultimate Authority, Pietro Moran will guide Sinclairity, Quadruple (GB) will have Ryan Munger in the saddle, Romero Maragh has the engagement on Austere, Les Reys (Fr) teams with Emma-Jayne Wilson and Sahin Civaci will be aboard Spinelli.
Return to the October 15 issue of Wire to Wire
