Best Bet – (7) RIDFORTHECAUSE – Race 8
Spot Play - (5) MAS CHIKILIN – Race 2
Pick 4 (.20 cents, Races 4-7) - ALL / 1, 4, 6, 8 / 5, 7, 9 / 3 = $26.40
Late Pick 4 (.20 cents, Races 7 – 10) – 7, 8 / 1 , 3 , 8, 10 , 12 / 1, 4, 12 / 2, 3, 4, 10 = $22.20
Race 1 – I am going out of the box in race 1 on today's Woodbine card as this 5 1/2 furlong low level maiden race is a bit confusing. (7) OPTIMYSTICAL stumbled out of the gate after breaking on top July 17 when he was my pick and then dropped far back before closing mildly. He is first time with Lasix and Leo Salles returns to ride him. (1) UNCLE HOWARD drops down in class and gets blinkers and he should be gunning for the lead from the inside. (9) STEEL WOOL ran so well in his first two career races in 2019 and his second race of this year showed he might be coming back around to that form. (3) NORTHERN SOLUATION cycled up to a career best effort in this third race of the year and is a logical player,
Race 2- (5) MAS CHIKILIN was an overlay at 12 to 1 when he won on turf at this distance and class 2 starts back. His latest was tougher and at a shorter distance and he was not far from 3
rd place. (9) CORDUROY ROAD has a nice little grass record and he drops a bit in class off his season debut in which he showed sharp speed. (1) ANALYZER won big off the layoff on the Tapeta at this class level but bounced last time. He is back in just 9 days and moving to grass, for which he is bred, and could bounce back. (3) SILENT JET is back on grass and shortening up to a sprint distance and both moves should be good for him. He will need to step up into the 80+ range in Beyer Figures to win this but he is a lightly raced 5-year-old and is interesting at 10 to 1 in the morning line.
Race 3 – The My Dear Stakes has a couple of 'rockets' in the small field. (1) JOY'S ROCKET will be heavily favoured as she is from the barn of Steve Asmussen and she won her debut in the slop at Churchill Downs. The 5
th and 8
th place finishers have come out of her race to win their next starts. (2) ROCKET RELOAD is a first time starter by exciting, young Ontario sire Reload and from a mare who won her 2-year-old debut and was stakes placed. (4) ROTARY had some buzzy workouts before her debut but she had the rail post and broke slowly before getting up for 4
th. (5) SILENT MAMBA inherited her debut win when the leader tried to jump over the fence. That filly came back with nearly the same antics and still almost won.
Race 4 – The Pick 4 wager begins here with a tough maiden race on the grass. (12) WILLED is on the also eligible list for owner/trainer Andrew Smith but she has good grass form from the US last fall and is worth a look if she draws in. (9) BOSCOBEL was in a quick turf sprint first time out and gets to stretch her legs in this longer grass race.(8) SWEET SHADES was steadied down the backstretch briefly in her season debut on the inner turf and she managed to rally to be in a close photo for 2
nd place. (6) CALL HER JOEY was the pick from here in her season debut in the same race as the pick but she moved very wide and too early around the turn and landed fifth.
Race 5 – (6) BOURBONSTRAIGHTUP was the local yearling sales topper two years ago and she is by classy Old Forester and a half sister to a main track stakes winner Safe to Say. She has worked well enough this year to warrant a look. Another first-timer with big works is (8) HOITY TOITY who was worked fast in2019 and has continued on this year. She is by an American graded stakes winning grass horse in Mr. Speaker. (13) SAN NICOLA STAR is a full sister to a grass winner and she blew the start first time out this season. (1) ORILLIA is another first timer with big workout times and she is a 4-year-old meeting mostly younger rivals.
Race 6 – (5) MARIPOSA BELLE, owned and trained by Roger Attfield, drops to a new low level in search of her maiden victory. She ran on this inner turf course just once and missed by a nose. (9) A LITTLE VOODOO gets a big class drop from maiden allowance to $25,000 claiming for her season debut. She led late in her debut last fall in a route race on the inner turf and she's been prepping at Keeneland. (7) LEA RO is another gal who ran well on the inner turf last year in a better maiden race. She wintered in Florida where she made one start, fading late at Gulfstream four weeks ago, (3) QUEEN AND HER COURT has done okay on the grass and she could wake up and get a share with the return to this surface.
Race 7- The $150,000 Greenwood Stakes is for Ontario-breds at 6 furlongs on turf and (3) ARTEMUS CITYLIMITS looks very strong even if he has never tried turf. The recent winner at Churchill Downs is by a good grass sire and from a mare who won two stakes on turf. (2) FORESTER'S TURN ran a new top in his latest win and he is by a sire who loved grass. Note that he was supplemented to this race for $3,000. (1) FORESTER'S FORTUNE waqs also supplemented to this race and he has won two straight races and is bred for grass. (4) CELEBRATORY is a maiden who has run well in his pair of turf dashes this year.
Race 8- The second Pick 4 begins in this allowance race on the grass for fillies and mares and (7) RIDEFORTHECAUSE had a super outing June 21 when she returned home except that she was mixing it up on the pace and that was not like her. The third place finisher has come back to win a nice race and this gal looks solid if she can save something for the end. (8) ABOVE ALL NAMES was nicely prepared by trainer Dale Desruisseaux to win her season debut on this course over a couple of these. She has come back to work well and anything close to that comeback gets her close again. (6) ROYAL WEDDING is in great form for trainer Nathan Squires and she won in fast time in her latest, a bit lucky too as the runner-up got into a world of trouble. (3) STREET ZAPPER led late in her return to the turf but Above All Names collared her late.
Race 9 – (8) OLLIEMYBOY ran an amazing race last time as he broke very slowly in his first attempt around two turns and he rallied fast and very wide. (10) FIFTH SEASON was hung out very wide throughout his debut race at 1 1/16 miles (same race as the top pick) but he stayed on okay to land in mid-pack. He is one of several to consider in this 9 furlong maiden race. (1) RED STORM RISEN is a Sam-Son Farm's' gelding who returns from Belmont where he ran two good races on the grass. He is going in the right direction. (12) BELICHICK and (3) HOLYFIELD are two Catherine Day Phillips trainees who can be in the frame.
Race 10 – The Turf Endurance Series begins with this 1 3/8 miles turf marathon and (1) BURNING MAN had such a nice season opener when second in a very fast race that he should be tough to beat. (4) ARTISTICO has been a regular in the Turf Marathon series in the last 2 years and was the boss in 2018. He was off form last fall but his season debut was okay and the winner came back to score again on Friday. (120 THEREGOESJOJO went on a wild roll last year with four straight wins including one at this distance on turf. He can build off his season debut against tougher.
Race 11 – Queen's Plate eligible (3) TECUMSEH'S WAR gets his acid test to see if he will go on to the Plate. He tries 9 furlongs on Tapeta and both are questions for him but he did win a route race on turf last year. He must save something for the stretch run. (10) TIMESKIP had a messy journey last time when he would have surely finished closer to (2) PRIDEOFDISTINCTION who was the runner-up and is a contender in this 9 furlong main track race. (4) MIGHTY HEART is another Plate hopeful and he had a super maiden win off the short layoff July 11 and he's come back to work quickly.
Photo by Mr. Will Wong
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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 Toronto Star and is the simulcast handicapper for Ajax Downs.
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