Caitlinhergrtness, King's Plate winner, faces older in Maple Leaf

Saturday at Woodbine, 13 fillies and mares aged 3 and upward will travel 1 1/4 miles on the main track in the Grade 3 Maple Leaf Stakes.

The field includes 2024 King’s Plate winner Caitlinhergrtness.

Named after WNBA basketball star Caitlin Clark, the daughter of Omaha Beach, who was the lone filly in the 165th running of $1 million Canadian classic, rallied late under Rafael Hernandez to win by three-quarters of a length in 2:03.45.

Trained by Kevin Attard for Siena Farm and WinStar Farm, Caitlinhergrtness heads into the Maple Leaf off a third in the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup (G1) at Keeneland on Oct. 12.

“I thought she ran a great race last time out,” said Attard. “It was a massive step up and she delivered a big effort. We were very happy with it.”

Caitlinhergrtness launched her career in the U.S., where she made four starts. After a third at Saratoga in her debut, she broke her maiden next time out at Belmont. She closed out her 2-year-old campaign with a fourth in the Tempted Stakes at Aqueduct and opened her 3-year-old season with a fourth at Gulfstream before bringing her talents north to Woodbine.

“She is like a willing student who passes every test with flying colours,” praised Attard, who will also send out multiple graded stakes winner Fashionably Fab.

The chestnut filly has compiled a record of 8: 3-1-2 from 8 starts and has $688,077 in purse earnings.

Bred in Ontario by Jesse Korona, Caitlinhergrtness went through three public auctions before starting her racing life. Her current owners bought her for $375,000 from the Off the Hook consignment at the 2023 Ocala Breeders' spring sale of 2-year-olds in training.

Troy Garnett is the groom.

Other starters include graded stakes placed Blueberry Fields, who has a mark of 13: 5-2-3 to go along with $232,564 in purse earnings.

A 6-year-old daughter of Frac Daddy out of the Candy Ride mare Candy Cruise, Blueberry Fields finished a hard charging third in the Grade 3 Matron last time out on Sept. 14.

It was her first stakes appearance for trainer and owner Brandon Greer, who co-bred the grey with his father, Terrance.

“She was like a freight train after the wire too,” said Greer, who saddled Town Cruise to victory in the 2021 Woodbine Mile (G1). “She galloped out quite strongly and we were very impressed with her. She had a lot of good energy coming out of the race in the days after.”

Blueberry Fields's two starts prior to the Ontario Matron, both taken off the turf and run over the Woodbine main track, included a half-length win at 1 1/16 miles on Aug. 17.

After a third, eleventh and seventh to start her career, she broke her maiden in a 1 1/16-mile main track race on July 13, 2023, and has finished in the top four in 10 straight races.

From July 13, 2023, to Oct. 28, 2023, she went 5: 3-2-0.

“I think what impresses me the most is that she has always had that big engine and gets that wonderful flowing stride going when she can get that going,” said Greer. “Some of her early races, she got a little stuck. When she gets that long stride going, it is just the most beautiful thing to watch.

“In later races, she has learned there is a time for it. She doesn’t always have to go straight for it – she can wait for the moment and then really reach out. It has given her a new aspect to her that I feel enhances the beauty of the way she goes.”

Now, she will traverse 10 furlongs, a route of ground Greer and his team believe is a good fit for Blueberry Fields.

“Everyone is intrigued by that distance for her. We are all very interested to see how she will do that distance. This race has been fun to watch and of interest to us. Horses always seem to be punching above their weight and it’s nice to see the mares go a mile and quarter late in the season.

“Going back to the stall and looking at her, she gives me confidence. This is a race that I am really looking forward to seeing how she will do.”

Blueberry Fields will also be sporting a look she has fashioned for the past month and half.

“I would say (she likes to run at this time of the year). She likes the cooler weather, but she also likes to grow a coat for the cooler weather. She has already started to get a little shaggy. She started to grow that winter hair at the end of September when it was still warm. That’s just her – something she has done before.”

As for the name, Greer noted, “When she was younger, she started off dark and gradually greyed out, but there was a hint of blue to the tint – it was quite beautiful. We were looking for a name and dad just liked that one. It seemed to really suit her.”

Craig Giuliani is the groom.

Conn Smythe, principal owner of the NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs from 1927 to 1961 and builder of Maple Leaf Gardens, leads all owners with seven Maple Leaf crowns. The race was inaugurated in 1892.