Best Bet – (1) CHASING ARTIE – Race 10
Spot Play – (6) NARA – Race 3
Want to play the Pick 4? (.20 cents, Races 4-7) : 1, 4, 5, 6, 9, 10 / 4 / 3, 4, 11 / 2, 5 = $7.20
Late Pick 4 (.20 cents, Races 9-12): 6, 7, 11 / 1, 2, 4 / 7, 9 / 2, 9, 10, 12, 13 = $18.00
Race 1 – (3) WILD MEDAGLIAD'ORO is new to Woodbine for Live Oak Plantation and it is his first try on Tapeta and at 5 1/2 furlongs. That being said, he has raced well and put up big Beyer Speed Figures against tougher in his career, he will just have to hurry to run down the speed. (6) CHECKERBOARD FLOOR is one of two nice ones in the field for the Bob Tiller barn. This guy has more wins than most of these and he showed great determination to go out of 2020 a winner. (6) AIM FOR THE SKY wants a bit more sprint distance but he also won his 2020 finale and is a hard trying fellow. (1) MR. COOL is very quick as he showed when he won his maiden in November at five furlongs, his third career race.
Race 2- Maidens go 5 1/2 furlongs and (8) FORT HOPE is offered for maiden claiming for the first time and he was recently bought in a Florida sale for $24,000. The class drop to $15,000 is of some concern but the fact that he was fourth to eventual Queen's Plate winner and Horse of the Year Mighty Heart makes him hard to ignore. (6) MR WILL ran a winning race at this class level in October and just needs a bit more late power. (11) SIR GRAYVENSCROFT is a longshot for the tickets. He had a very slow, messy start to his debut a year ago but really closed well in the stretch. His workout times this spring have been solid. (8) KEEN SAMURAI is a five-year-old who almost won his maiden last fall when claimed for this price. He may be okay at the shorter distance.
Race 3- Two-year-old boys go 4 1/2 furlongs and most are making their debut. (6) NARA comes in from Kentucky for Wesley Ward but this is an Ontario bred by first crop sire Caravaggio who has at least 7 winners overseas from his first crop. This colt shows fast workout times. (1) HEAT MERCHANT is from the first crop of Grade 2 winning sprinter Kobe's Back and this gelding has a tricky post but strong prep times. (3) DAY TRIPPER is a handsome colt bought in Florida and he has had any number of good workout times. (9) CONCEALED CARRY is by a sire who is 17% as a juvenile debut sire and the mare of this colt has had 5 winners, two of them two-year-old winners. Also consider (10) STYLISH GENT is by a good juvenile sire in Outwork and this is a half brother to 16-time winner Constantino.
Race 4- This first leg of the Pick 4 offers a puzzle for handicappers as maidens sprint on the grass for $25,000 claiming. Some of the ones to consider include (1) SYNCHROMESH, a first time starter who is a big guy by a good grass sire and his dam won won her career debut. This guy has had lots of good workout times. (4) MISTER MVP is another first time starter and he is a 4-year-old with lots of grass breeding and above average workout times. (10) FANTASTIC BREEZE showed plenty of potential in 2019 and he gets a big class drop off the long layoff. (6) JAMES BAY improved with each outing last year and has a bit of turf breeding.
Race 5 –(4) LENNY K will wear blinkers for his 3-year-old debut and that may help him focus late. He had the lead in the late stages of his last two races of 2020 and was caught. (8) FROSTED OVER is speedy and he makes his first start at Woodbine for Mark Casse and he has so many sizzling workout times. He may go a long way on the pace. (3) BODIE is held in high regard by his interests and he is a half brother to a debut winner and a 12 furlong stakes winner, Giovanna Blues. This guy trained in South Carolina all winter. (2) NIKOLAOU is a first-time starter with good workout times and he is by a high percentage sire of debut winners and from a good mare who has produced a debut winner.
Race 6 – (11) TAKE A CHANCE is an Ontario bred who dueled on the rail in his debut in New York in March and stayed on well behind a good winner. Interestingly, he was in the Keeneland April sale recently and bought for $150,000 and he returns to his home province. (4) TAPE TO TAPE ran a big race in his second career start last fall at a longer distance and he earned a good 74 Beyer Speed Figure. (3) ARTIE'S STORM showed gumption in his 5 1/2 furlong debut last fall when beaten only a neck. )1) MOONQUEST is a beginner for Mark Casse and an Ontario bred by high percentage debut sire Nyquist.
Race 7 – Can (2) PINK LLOYD win the Grade 3 Jacques Cartier Stakes for the fifth year in succession? The amazing champion has been waiting patiently to get his 9-year-old season going and he will have an new rider in Daisuke Fukumoto as Hernandez is injured. Pinkie has been powering through his workouts but this will not be an easy task. (5) SOUPER STONEHENGE loves Woodbine's Tapeta and he beat Pinkie last fall when second in the Grade 2 Kennedy Road. (4) READYFORPRIMETIME is very fast and will have to be caught. He makes his second start for owner Robert Marzilli and first start on Tapeta. (3) MALIBU SECRET chased Pink Lloyd around last year and he is an honest fellow.
Race 8 – If (13) TRANQUILITY BASE draws in from the also eligible list he would be a major contender based on a good campaign in 2020 and solid Beyer Figures.. He is the first call for rider Kazushi Kimura who is also named on Cheek to Cheek.(8) TORPEDO MAX ended 2020 on a winning note and comes out of the hot Martin Drexler barn. (2) CHEEK TO CHEEK was leading late in a fast race to end 2020 and he fits. (5) BALA FALLS ended a winless streak last year and he should like the short distance.
Race 9 – The late Pick 4 begins here and I will try a longshot in (7) I'M NOT PERFECT who had a rough debut outing last fall in a turf sprint. This gal broke slowly and then was blocked behind horses around the turn and into the stretch. She raced very greenly once clear and she will race without blinkers in this return. (6) CONZIP is the most logical since she missed by a neck in September when claimed and that was a two-turn turf race. (11) COCOTARA is a pace threat and she comes in from Florida. She had a bad start to her latest and was crowded most of the way. (3) KERICS BEAUTY had some late power in her lone turf sprint last season.
Race 10 – The $125,000 Woodstock Stakes is a sprint for 3-year-olds and trainer Wesley Ward had to call an audible for both of his entrants coming up from Kentucky. (1) CHASING ARTIE won a turf sprint stake at Keeneland in April impressively but like (2) OUTADORE, his stablemate, both were headed to another stake on turf but it came off and they were scratched. The latter is a classy colt who is Grade 1 placed. (4) JAXON TRAVELLER makes his all-weather track debut and this is a really good sprinter for Steve Asmussen who will be tough to beat if he handles the surface. Queen's Plate eligible (6) DERZKII can pick up some pieces.
Race 11 – Patience has been the key for trainer Roger Attfield with the Hayden's (7) TORONTOTORO, a 4-year-old beginner by Triple Crown winner American Pharoah and a half brother to two debut winners including stakes winner Unspurned. This guy was working fast as a 2-year-old in 2019, missed time and has been regularly working fast since March. (9) MAGIC SPIN had two near missed last year as a juvenile for Mark Casse and has good workout times. (1) RACING IN THE RAIN has had a lot of chances but he always runs well. (4) LAKE SHORE DRIVE is by a high percentage debut sire, Kantharos, and shows good prep times.
Race 12 – This is a super field of non-winners of two with many Queen's Plate eligibles in the field meeting some older guys. (2) RED RIVER REBEL won his maiden in the Frost King Stakes with a big 81 Beyer Figure last fall. He wintered in Ocala and has had good workout times here. He will likely be favoured in a tough field so don't bet the house. (9) MEYER ran a huge second in the Breeders' Stakes last fall at 1 1/2 miles on turf but he won his maiden at a sprint distance. (13) THERE'S NO JOE is a four-year-old who ran fast to win his maiden on grass last fall. He handles Tapeta too. (12) CRUDEN BAY looked good winning his only race last year although he has a tough post. (10) COMMANDER TOM was impressive in his maiden win in October and he is a pace threat.
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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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