2016 Highlander Stakes Preview, Entries & Odds

OffTrackBetting.com - The Grade 2 Highlander Stakes goes down this Sunday, July 3 from Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario. Horses three years old and upward will be featured when they take to Woodbine's turf track and dash six furlongs searching for the winner's portion of the $200,000 purse.

Seven older horses will take to the track in the Highlander Stakes - race 4 on Woodbine's Sunday card. Post time is 1:39 PM. Here is a glance into the past performances of all seven combatants for this Grade 2 stakes.

2016 Highlander Stakes Race Preview at Woodbine Racetrack

Lady Shipman 1-1 - Kiaran McLaughlin trained filly has looked very good in her 16 race career - 11 wins (nine stakes), two seconds and two third place finishes - she finished third in Eclipse Award voting for female sprinter. She enters on a two race win streak - the minor The Very One Stakes last time out May 21 and the minor License Fee Stakes May 1 which followed a seventh in a Group 1 race in the UAE, another win in the minor Ladies' Turf Sprint at Gulfstream in February and a second in her only graded stakes action to date - the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint. She also had a second in the minor Buffalo Trace Franklin County Stakes October 9 and four straight minor stakes scores last summer. Lady Shipman has been impressive so far and outside of one bad effort has been one of the classiest horses in the division. She tries for her third straight win overall and first ever graded stakes victory from the rail Sunday. Joel Rosario rides the even money favorite.

Something Extra 3-1 - won the Grade 3 Shakertown Stakes in April, 2015 for trainer Gail Cox but hasn't been great since. He was last seen running sixth in the Grade 3 Twin Spires Turf Sprint at Churchill Downs May 6 which followed an OK second in the 2016 Shakertown Stakes April 9, a thirteenth in the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint, a tenth place finish in the Grade 3 Woodford Stakes October 3 and consecutive fourths - the minor Troy Stakes in August and the 2015 Highlander Stakes. He did have a second in the Grade 3 Jaipur Stakes in June, 2015 and a third in the Grade 3 Twin Spires Stakes in May but has struggled of late. Something Extra has nine wins, 10 seconds and six third place finishes in 37 career starts and looks for his first win in 14 months. Patrick Husbands will try to accomplish that goal from gate 2 Sunday.

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Passion for Action 4-1 - has five wins, four seconds and a third place finish in 15 career starts - the best result coming two starts back when he won the Grade 3 Vigil Stakes with an impressive 103 Beyer Speed Figure here May 7 and last time out when he posted an OK second behind Dimension in the Grade 2 Connaught Cup Stakes on this track June 5. Those results followed another win in the minor Jacques Cartier Stakes on this track April 9. He's also recorded consecutive sixth place finishes at Gulfstream - the Grade 3 Canadian Turf Stakes February 27 and an Allowance Optional Claiming in January and a second in the Grade 2 Kennedy Road Stakes on this track in November and he had a good win in the Cup and Saucer Stakes here as a juvenile. Passion for Action has two wins and two second place finishes in his last four starts on this track and enters in good form. Eurico Rosa Da Silva has been tabbed with keeping the roll going from post 3 Sunday.

Green Mask 8-1 - Brad Cox trained stakes winner has three wins, three seconds and two third place finishes in 15 career starts and made his graded stakes debut in October when he finished a decent third in the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint. He hasn't been great since - a seventh last time out in the Grade 3 Jaipur Invitational at Belmont Park June 11 followed a sixth in the minor Opening Verse Stakes at Churchill Downs May 21, a second in the minor Elusive Quality Stakes in April and an eighth in a Group 1 stakes in Hong Kong. He also had a third in the Al Quoz Sprint Empowered by IPIC at Meydan and consecutive runner-up finishes in minor stakes action to start 2015. Green Mask looks to win for the first time in 25 months Sunday in less-than-spectacular form - from gate 4 with Julien Leparoux guiding him.

Hootenanny 10-1 - lightly raced Wesley Ward trained colt has four wins, two seconds and a third place finish in nine career starts. He was at his best in 2014 when he posted three wins, a second and a third place finish in five races including the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf. He has just four starts since - an eighth last time out in the Grade 3 Twin Spires Turf Sprint at Churchill Downs May 6 followed a second in the minor Jacques Cartier Stakes here in April, 10 months away and an eleventh in a Group 1 stakes at Ascot in June, 2015. Hootenanny has been a force in the past and hopes to find that form again Sunday. He leaves from the outside post 7 in underwhelming form Sunday with Alan Garcia aboard.

Black Hornet 15-1 - multiple stakes winning Pat Parente trained gelding has five wins, four seconds and four third place finishes in 20 career starts and enters off an eighth in the minor Achievement Stakes here June 18. Before that was a fourth in the Grade 3 Vigil Stakes on this track May 7, a year away and a win in the 2015 Vigil Stakes. He also had a third in the Grade 2 Kennedy Road Stakes in November, 2014, a second in the October 2014 Grade 2 Nearctic Stakes and a third in the Grade 3 Bold Venture Stakes a month before that. Black Hornet has failed to place in his only two starts in 13 months and will be out to rediscover his 2014/2015 form. Rafael Manuel Hernandez has been tabbed to ride from gate 6.

Sweet Grass Creek 20-1 - Michael Keogh trained gelding has four wins, four seconds and a third place finish in 14 career starts - all on this track. He makes his graded stakes debut Sunday off a second in the minor Achievement Stakes June 18, a third in an Allowance May 1, an Allowance Optional Claiming score April 16 and a second in a similar race in November. Sweet Grass Creek steps up in decent form and will have Jesse Campbell in the reins from post 5.

2016 Highlander Stakes Entries & Odds

Race 4 on Woodbine's Sunday card with a Post Time of 1:39 PM.