Best Bet – (4) HELL BENT – Race 5
Spot Play – (7) MALIBU SECRET – Race 10
Want to play the Pick 4? ($1.00 Races 4-7) : 1, 6, 8, 10 / 4 / 1, 2, 6, 7 / 2 = $16.00
Late Pick 4 (.20 cents, Races 8-11): 1, 4, 10, / 1, 4 / 4, 6, 7 / all = $25.20
(*selections done for turf)
Race 1 – (3) LOADED QUESTION could not keep up to the hot pace in her season debut but moves out to six furlongs and should be the dominant pace runner in this small field, giving her a big chance to win. (1) OLD SECRETS gets Lasix after dropping far back in her return race and she has come back with some good workout times. (4) CAPTURE THE MOMENT returns to a Tapeta sprint after a good try in a longer turf race. (2) RED EQUINOX was not far beaten in a turf sprint and she may like getting back to the main track.
Race 2- Two-year-olds will sprint on the grass and (9) DIAMOND CITY is a flashy chestnut who worked two furlongs in 21 flat at the April Ocala sale. The mare has produced a two-year-old winner on turf. (2) FIRST EMPIRE is by a hot, young sire and this guy was in a pace battle in his debut and got tired.(4) SILENT FAREWELL shows lots of good workout times for the Mike Keogh barn and he has plenty of turf breeding. (2) DAY TRIPPER gets more distance and grass and his sire was a millionaire on the turf.
Race 3- The Plate Trial only received four entries so expect a very slow, early pace. (4) AVOMAN fared well against older horses in an allowance/optional race in his season debut and he gave away ground with a wide trip. (1) H C HOLIDAY won his local debut in a sprint but was later disqualified due to a paperwork error. He raced against winners last time and was not far behind Avoman. (3) TRUFFLE KING was entered in a maiden race Saturday but jumped in here and he adds blinkers and he brings in a bullet workout. (2) DERKII set a slow pace in his latest but could not hold off a tougher older runner.
Race 4- (1) AIM FOR THE SKY is very quick and he will try to carry his speed on turf again – he's been second in both grass outings. He led late in his most recent when off-the-pace runners were having the best luck on a slow surface. (6) HOLYFIELD cuts back sharply in distance after a good try at 10 furlongs when he was declared a non-starter after a gate mishap. He should be flying late. (10) WORA is a smooth-striding fellow who ran well in turf sprints in Florida but the seven furlong distance may be a hurdle. (8) DECIMATOR is quickly back in a grass sprint after a route distance attempt on he main track and he can bounce back.
Race 5 – (4) HELL BENT has an appealing pattern coming up to this return to a route race on the Tapeta. He went from a sprint to a grass race last time and managed to get third despite some trouble and that sets him up for a big move forward with the surface switch. (3) KOSMANAVT is coming out of the same two races as the top pick and he also had some traffic delay in the grass race. If (2) AMMUNITION can slow things down on the pace he may stick around for a top three placing. (1) BIRCHMOUNT ROAD won his maiden last time when he had a hot pace to run at.
Race 6 – (2) HIATUS gets back to the grass after a strong showing in his season opener in a Tapeta sprint. His 74 Beyer Figure on the inner turf last year is a standout effort in this field. (1) BODIE will move up on the grass as a son of a mare who won two turf races and produced grass stakes winner Giovanna Blues. (6) BEAU GUEST is well bred for grass as a half brother to two turf winners. He was in a tough maiden race in his opener as the winner won by more than 10 lengths. (7) NIKOLAU beat half the field in his Tapeta sprint debut. His sire is modest with grass runners but the mare has had three turf winners.
Race 7 – The Grade 3 Vigil Stakes is a re-match between (2) SOUPER STONEHENGE, a galloping winner of the Jacques Cartier on June 20 and the mighty (3) PINK LLOYD who was second best that day. The former has been motoring along in his interim workouts and is a lover of the all weather track. (5) NOT SO QUIET had a good year in 2020 in Ontario sired stakes on turf but his speed gives him a chance to grab a share. (4) GREEN LIGHT GO, a top two-year-old in 2018 tries the all weather track for the first time and returns to sprinting in his Canadian debut.
Race 8 –The $500,000 Woodbine Oaks is the premier race for Canadian-bred 3-year-old fillies and the field of 10 has a little bit of everything. (10) MUNNYFOR RO might get a much better pace set-up that she has in recent races. Her return to Woodbine was in the Selene, an open race, and she was a clear second. (1) CURLIN'S CATCH has an 80 Beyer Figure from her stakes win at Tampa Bay Downs in the spring. She might like a dirt track a bit better but she closed well in the Fury Stakes when getting back on Lasix. (4) LORENA is unbeaten and won the Fury Stakes with a gritty battle. She has the breeding to handle the distance. (8) LADY MOONSHINE is a maiden who gets blinkers and she has been third in her pair of starts.
Race 9 – The red hot Terra Racing Stable has (1) AMALFI COAST ready to go for the Grade 2 Royal North Stakes, a turf sprint. A top 3-year-old, she had some bad luck last year but her 2021 opener was solid and she has plenty of speed to run at as she returns to the grass. (4) CHANGE OF CONTROL is a formidable invader for trainer Michelle Lovell. She just won a Grade 3 turf sprint in New York and has some very high Beyer Figures. (3) LADY GRACE won this race last year and is trying to get back on track after a short layoff. (7) LEAD GUITAR ended 2020 with three straight wins, two stakes, all in New York. She comes off a lengthy layoff.
Race 10 – Five furlong turf dash could be the winning ticket for (7) MALIBU SECRET who has chased the likes of Pink Lloyd and Super Stonehenge among others in stakes on Tapeta. He has placed six times in 10 turf trues and he has speed to run at. (6) CITY BOY is a classy fellow and a graded stakes winning turf sprinter. He has had any number of big workout times getting ready for his 7-year-old debut. (4) CIRCLE OF FRIENDS is interesting as he is a very good sprinter and his only turf try was on a bog of a course back in 2017 in a Grade 2 stakes race. (1) CELEBRATORY is one of two very quick guys in the field for the Colebrook Farms.
Race 11 – Many to choose from in this big field of maidens on the grass and the well bred (2) CORRELATE might be all set to win his maiden. He showed improvement in his second outing of the meeting around two turn and now he goes one turn. (12) SETTEBELLO is a first time starter with a wide post but loads of grass breeding. He has had some strong workout times for owner/trainer Pat Parente and is worth a look. (4) UNION COLONEL has had many chances at his maiden win and he drops a class level and moves to his best surface. (5) SUN FORESTER is by a top grass sire and he adds blinkers for his second career start. (8) KODIAC MAMBA, a full brother to a multiple Group 1 winner overseas, drops in class and returns to turf.
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Jennifer Morrison has been a public handicapper for the Toronto Star, Globe & Mail and Daily Racing Form. She is currently a writer for CanadianThoroughbred.com, Blood-Horse and is the simulcast handicapper for Ajax Downs.
Photo by Mr. Will Wong
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