Shamans Girl wins the Shady Well on debut Dec. 2 at Woodbine (Michael Burns)
Chris Lomon/Woodbine Communications
TORONTO– Shamans Girl, trained by Harold Ladouceur for owner and breeder Stronach Stables, will chase her second stakes score in Saturday’s $125,000 Fury Stakes Presented by Stella Artois, at Woodbine.
A key prep on the road to this year’s $500,000 Woodbine Oaks Presented by Stella Artois (July 20, at Woodbine), the seven-furlong main track Fury, for 3-year-old fillies foaled in Canada, has attracted eight hopefuls.
Shamans Girl, a daughter of multiple graded stakes winner and 2015 King’s Plate victor Shaman Ghost, will make the second start of her 2024 campaign on Saturday.
She comes into her latest test off a fifth in the Wide Country Stakes on February 24 at Laurel.
“I don’t think she liked the deep track,” said Ladouceur. “But she came out of the race great, and we’re excited to have her back and ready to compete at Woodbine.”
The chestnut filly’s only start last year was a winning one when she took the six-furlong Shady Well Stakes on December 2.
Sent off at 23-1, Shamans Girl, under Ryan Munger, rallied impressively to cross the wire 3 ½ lengths clear of her closest rival in a time of 1:11.63.
“It was such a great effort,” said Ladouceur. “Ryan gave her a great ride and she did it very professionally. She didn’t run like it was the first race of her career. Everything went right.”
Shamans Girl, who spent the winter at Laurel, has had a steady series of works at Woodbine ahead of the Fury.
She had a pair of five-furlong breezes over the main track, including a 1:02.60 effort on May 31.
“Ryan has been thrilled with her and so am I,” said Ladouceur, who was inducted into the North American Indigenous Athletics Hall of Fame (NAIAHF) this March. “He tells me that she knows what she’s doing. She doesn’t overexert herself, but if she has to, she will. The way she works and the effort she puts forth – I just love it.
“I knew she was nice from the first time I galloped her. It was just my experience galloping that told me that. Others have said the same thing about her, which is great to hear.”
Ladouceur, who handles groom duties along with his wife and assistant trainer, Jessie, has seen a calmer side of Shamans Girl this year.
“The hotwalker, Dennis, thinks she has calmed down. Last year, when we would breeze her, she would come back a little geared up. But she has matured, and she is a lot calmer when we cool her down.
“Dennis likes her, so I make sure he is available every time we go out and train her. He will wait for her to walk her. He has a banana waiting for her, he brings her carrots and when he sees the grass man, he’ll buy her a strip of grass.”
Ladouceur is looking for a big effort from his 3-year-old filly on Saturday.
“I think the longer she goes, the better she will be. We’ll see how things progress. The goal is to race in the Woodbine Oaks, but we’ll take things day-by-day for now.
Dual Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse, who will be represented by Lunch With Bernie, and Olivia Rose, has won eight editions of the Fury, including four consecutive runnings from 2011-14.
The Fury is slated as race eight. First post time is 1:10 p.m. Fans can wager on all the action through HPIbet and bet365.com.
Field for the $125,000 Fury Stakes
Post – Horse – Jockey – Trainer
1 – Sounds Practical – Emma-Jayne Wilson – John Mattine
2 – Shamans Girl – Ryan Munger – Harold Ladouceur
3 – Olivia Rose – Rafael Hernandez – Mark Casse
4 – Novel – Sofia Vives – Katerina Vassilieva
5 – Red Samurai (S) – Eswan Flores – Sid Attard
6 – Lunch With Bernie – Patrick Husbands – Mark Casse
7 – Bravo Kate – Sahin Civaci – Sid Attard
8 – More Money Hunny – Kazushi Kimura – Josie Carroll
