2017 Nassau Stakes Preview, Entries & Odds

OffTrackBetting.com – The G2 Nassau Stakes is on tap for this Saturday, May 27 at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario. Fillies and mares three years old and upward will gather to race one mile on Woodbine’s turf track for the winner’s portion of the $175,000.

A classy group of seven have been confirmed for the Nassau Stakes – race 8 on Woodbine’s Saturday schedule. Post time is 4:55 PM. Here is a peek into the past performances of all seven combatants for this G2 stakes.

2017 Nassau Stakes Entries at Woodbine Racetrack

Catch a Glimpse 8-5 – Canadian Sovereign Award winner for 2015 Horse of the Year, Champion Grass Mare and Champion 2-Year-Old Filly has eight wins (all on turf – seven graded stakes) and two seconds in 14 career starts for trainer Mark Casse and enters in a bit of a slump having failed to place in three of her last four starts. Last time out was an eighth in the G1 Jenny Wiley Stakes at Keeneland April 15 after an OK second in the minor Sand Springs Stake at Gulfstream March 4, and eighth in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf and a seventh in the G1 QE II Challenge Cup at Keeneland October 15. She was good before that – a second in the G2 Lake Placid Stakes at Saratoga August 21 followed a terrific eight race win streak including the G1 Belmont Oaks Invitational July 9, the G1 Penn Mile by 2 1/4 lengths in gate-to-wire fashion against the boys June 4, the G3 Edgewood Stakes at Churchill Downs last May 6, the G3 Appalachian Stakes at Keeneland April 14, 2016, the G3 Herecomesthebride Stakes at Gulfstream February 27 of last year, on the biggest stage – the 2015 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, by five lengths in the G2 Natalma Stakes at Woodbine September 12, 2015 and an Allowance score in August on that same track. Catch a Glimpse had been on fire before her last four starts and will be looking to get back in the win column from gate 2. Florent Geroux will be in the irons of the morning line favorite.

Stormy Victoria 2-1 – Christophe Clement trained French bred mare had two wins in eight career starts at home but failed to place in her last four – all stakes races. She returned from seven months away from the track and made her North American debut April 29, 2016 and promptly won an Allowance Optional Claiming at Belmont Park. Stormy Victoria has been pretty good since – a second last time out in the minor Powder Break Stakes at Gulfstream Park April 29 followed a fourth in the G3 My Charmer Handicap at Gulfstream Park West in November, a second in the G3 Athenia Stakes at Belmont Park in October and a third in the G3 Noble Damsel Stakes September 24. She has placed in five of seven North American starts but still has yet to claim a stakes/group score. Jockey Alan Garcia hopes to change all of that Saturday from the rail as the morning line second choice.

Caren 5-1 – reigning Sovereign Award Winner fir Canadian Horse of the Year and Champion Three-Year-Old Filly, Michael De Paulo trained filly has placed in 13 of 16 career starts – nine wins, two seconds and two third place finishes. She won five of her first six career starts including three minor stakes races and has been OK since. Last time out was a disappointing fifth in the G3 Whimsical Stakes on this track April 23 which followed an ugly eleventh in the G2 Mrs. Revere Stake at Churchill Downs November 25 and a nice four race win streak – all stakes races with the best coming in the G3 Ontario Colleen Stakes on this track in September. Caren had been impressive before struggling most recently and hopes to snap a two-race losing streak from gate 4. Jesse Campbell has been tabbed to ride the intriguing third betting choice.

Shelbysmile 6-1 – Brendan Walsh trained filly has eight career starts and has won five of them. One of her wins came last time out in an Allowance at Keeneland April 22 after a fifth in her only graded stakes action to date – the G2 Mrs. Revere Stakes at Churchill Downs November 25 and a good win in the minor River Memories Stakes on this track November 5. She won three of her previous five starts as well last summer. Shelbysmile has been competitive so far and will chase her first ever graded stakes score from post 5 Saturday with David Moran guiding her.

Southern Gem 12-1 – Sid Attard trained mare has three wins, two seconds and two third place finishes in her 16 career starts. She arrives off a fourth in an Allowance Optional Claiming February 24 at Gulfstream, an Allowance Optional Claiming score at Churchill Downs November 10 and a fifth, a second and a fourth respectively in a trio of Allowance races last year. Her only graded stakes action came before that and resulted in a seventh in the G3 Old Forester Mint Julep Handicap at Churchill Downs last June. Southern Gem has been inconsistent so far in her career and will be after a first stakes win from gate 6. Rafael Manuel Hernandez has the mount.

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Starship Jubilee 15-1 – has 12 career starts for trainer Kevin Attard with six wins and a second-place finish. She makes her stakes debut Saturday on the heels of a three-race win streak – an Allowance Optional Claiming April 21, a Starter Allowance March 22 and another Allowance Optional Claiming March 9 – all three at Gulfstream. She posted a runner-up finish and another win in a pair of Claiming races on that track to start 2017. Starship Jubilee has been very good against lesser competition lately and hopes it translates in her step up Saturday. Eurico Rosa Da Silva gets the call.

Involuntary 15-1 – Josie Carroll trained filly has placed in five of seven career starts – three wins and two runner-up finishes. Last time out was a second in an Allowance Optional Claiming at Gulfstream Park March 30 after a tenth in her only graded stakes action to date – the G3 Commonwealth Oaks at Laurel Park September 24 and a decent win in the minor Drumtop Stakes at Suffolk Downs in August. Involuntary has been decent so far in her career and will be after a first graded stakes score from post 3 Saturday. Gary Boulanger rides.

2017 Nassau Stakes Odds & Entries

Race 8 on Woodbine’s Saturday card with a Post Time of 4:55 PM.