TORONTO, May 10, 2023 –  Ontario Bred Hard Edge is chasing her first stakes win in Saturday’s G3 $150,000 Whimsical Stakes, at Woodbine.

Trained by Stuart Simon, Hard Edge will take on seven rivals, including three other Ontario Bred mares. The Whimsical is a six-furlong main track event for fillies and mares, 4-year-olds and upward.

A daughter of Hard Spun, Hard Edge went 2-3-1 from seven starts las year. Overall, the Chiefswood Stables’ homebred is 3-5-2 from 11 career outings, with $220,890 (U.S.) in lifetime earnings.

The 5-year-old mare, owns a 2-2-0 mark from four efforts at six furlongs, and capped off her 2022 campaign with a 3 ¾-length win over the distance on the Woodbine tapeta last November.

The Whimsical is Hard Edge’s first start of the year. ​

“You wish they were all like her,” praised Simon. “She’s so easy to train and is very laid-back in her training. But every time the gate opens, she answers the bell. If they were all like her, it would be an easy game. She can be a little aggressive around the barn. She’s not a pet, but she’s just a good eater, a good doer, and does everything right. She’s never too hard on herself.”

Hard Edge’s only previous stakes appearance came in last year’s Sweet Briar Too Stakes, where she was fourth, but only 1 ¾ lengths behind eventual champion female sprinter Hazelbrook.

“She’s been working well leading up to this. Usually, she’s not a great work horse in the morning, but she has been this spring. She seems to be as good or better than she ever has. So, we’re looking for a big race.”

Regular rider Eswan Flores gets the call.

Stakes winner Miss Speedy is one of three additional Ontario Breds in the field. The daughter of Souper Speedy is making her second start of 2023, and has earned over $200,000 lifetime. Conditioned Mark Casse and owned by Gary Barber Sahin Civaci is aboard.

Owen’s Tour Guide and Forest Drift round out the Ontario content in the field. Both are looking for their first career stakes score.

First-race post time on Saturday is 1:10 p.m., with the Whimsical scheduled as the afternoon’s eighth race. Fans can watch and wager on all the action via HPIbet.com and the Dark Horse Bets app.

With files from Woodbine Communications