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Jennifer Morrison’s Woodbine Thoroughbred Selections: Saturday, August 29, 2020

Bet Now > Tips from the Pros > Jennifer Morrison’s Woodbine Thoroughbred Selections: Saturday, August 29, 2020

Jennifer Morrison’s Woodbine Thoroughbred Selections: Saturday, August 29, 2020

August 29, 2020
By Jennifer Morrison
Jennifer Morrison’s Woodbine Thoroughbred Selections: Saturday, August 29, 2020
Best Bet –  (2) WALK IN MARRAKESH – Race 7
Spot Play  - (6) LATER GATOR -Race 6
Pick 4  (.20 cents, Races 4-7)  - 1, 2, 8 / 5, 6, 9 / 3, 5, 7, 8 / 1, 2 = $14.40
Late Pick 4 (.20 cents, Races 7– 10) – 2 / 1, 2, 3 7 / 2, 6 / all = $28.80

 
Race 1 – (1) JUNGLE FIGHTER is making just his 2nd start of the year and he moves to the turf, a surface he loves. He began the season in a Grade 3 stakes race and has since had a trio of strong workout times and those 90+ Beyer Figures from last season look good on his page. (5) PERFECT TAPATINO came to North America this year and has had two races in graded stakes here and in Kentucky. Not a lot has happened but he adds Lasix and gets back to the grass. (3) ARMISTICE DAY won the Toronto Cup last summer at this 9 furlong distance on this grass course and he comes off a Tapeta win after a layoff. (6) PIONEER MAN won his season debut at this distance while on the Tapeta rack and he's now 3 for 5 in his brief career.
 
Race 2- (5) CASH IN A FLASH is a first-time starter with some fast workout times for trainer Mark Casse. He is by a sire who was a champion 2-year-old and the mare, a Grade 2 winner, is the dam of this year's multiple graded SW Souper Escape. (6) MACLEAN'S POSSE has tons of speed breeding and many workouts dating back to June. Trainer Josie Carroll is a solid 15% with debut winners from starters, last 2 years. (2) WORKING THE TABLE had some speed in his debut which came in the Victoria Stakes. (1) SILVER SMOKE worked fast on the training track Aug. 16 for 5 furlongs, 59 2/5, and his dam was a stakes winner at 2.
 
Race 3 – This 1 1/4 mile grass allowance has an interesting assortment of guys and perhaps (1) HAYABUSA ONE will enjoy the class drop for his 3rd race of the year after missing all of 2019. A 7-year-old with just 13 races, he is s delicate type but was second in a pair of graded races on turf in California two years ago. (2) COUNT AGAIN is the young guy in the field who has shown promise and he has been freshened since a closing run at a shorter distance in his Woodbine debut. (8) AVIE'S MESA has not won since he took a 1 1/4 mile Tapeta race in 2018 but he does like the grass. (3) SIR SAHIB  was placed in two marathon stakes here last summer and he stretches out for his 3rd race off the layoff.
 
Race 4 – The Pick begins in this race for $7,500 claiming and this is the lowest level that (1) CONSTANTINO has ever raced at. The 10-year-old won his season debut on turf with an 82 Beyer Figure but has been on the edges since then. He towers over this field. (8) ELUSIVE RO won for $10,000 claiming when scooped up by his current barn and you can toss his latest on the dirt at Fort Erie as he was not away well from the start. (2) FRONT NINE just missed in a short turf dash recently and he floundered in the slop at Fort Erie last time. (9) NASHVILLE KNIGHT was 1 to 5 to win his latest when dropped in for $4,750 claiming and he led nicely but could not hang on at 6 1/2 furlongs.
 
Race 5 – (6) ROLLING SLOAN ran a nice race, almost a winning race in her grass debut at this 6 1/2 furlong distance. She was a big headstrong early but grabbed the lead and was only run down late by her stablemate. (9) CORA is a nice prospect but the 5 furlongs on turf was a bit short for her last time plus she had gone into that race off a wild 45 flat workout that may have taken something out of her. (5) PIVOTAL WOMAN drops a bit in class for Gary Barber and Mark Casse and she is a french-bred who will be much better in this sprint race on turf. (14) OHEAVENS went fast on the pace in her season debut against some of these but she stayed on okay and now the blinkers come off. She has to work out a trip from this wide post.
 
Race 6 – (7) LATER GATOR plunges in class for her second career race and first start since December and her debut was quite okay.(3) CITY FASHION is owned and trainer by Mark Casse and she was well beaten for 4 times this claiming price first time out. She surely can show more at this level. (5) MERINO WOOL goes for an owner/trainer combo that has been red hot this year. This gal shows just one little workout in 2 months since her latest but if she can get into the the 40s Beyer Figure-wise she rates as a top contender.   (8) COULD BE FATE showed rocketing speed in her career debut on turf and she gets blinkers and is another class dropper.
 
Race 7- The unlucky gal (2) WALK IN MARRAKESH has come so close to winning three graded stakes on turf in North America. Two stras back she had nowhere to run for most of the stretch run in a stake at Churchill and last time she was nosed out in a Grade 2 at Keeneland. She ships in for a trainer, Ignacio Correas, who has done well with his Woodbine invaders. (1) AVIE'S SAMURAI has been a bear in sprints this year and she should handle a one turn, one mile turf race. (3) FLY SO PRETTY, one of  4 fillies trained by Mark Casse in this field is a stakes winner sprinting on the grass. (6) CHART has grass breeding on the top and bottom of her pedigree and she has worked well on the surface sinceher sprint win on the main track.
 
Race 8-  (2) CLARKSON is a first time starter by Tiznow racing for owner Robert Masterson, who campaigned champion Tepin. This gal is not really bred for 5 1/2 furlongs but her prep times have been sharp and there is not much in this field. (3) NEPTUNE'S PEARL has shown a lot of speed in her last pair of starts and could stick around for a top three placing.(1) KARAONTIE FLYER has had some very fast workout times on the Tapeta and this is her first race on the surface. (7) BUNCHKINS shortens up a bit in distance and should be putting in a rally as she has shown promise.
 
Race 9 – (2) ARTISTICO was brilliant in his win at 1 3/8 miles on turf last time, his second outing of the year. He tries 12 furlongs for the first time and note he won back-to-back races last year. (6) THEREGOESJOJO was second to the pick last time and he had to come from a long way back. ((3) PEACE OF EKATI was third behind the top pair and he is going in the right direction. (9) CAMP CREEK is a classy guy who may have needed his return outing off the long layoff.
 
Race 10 –  The Conrad Farms' class dropping (8) SHE'S A ZOOMER only needs to run back to her last Tapeta outing when a close second with a 60 Beyer Figure to be right in contention for her maiden win. (11) LOST CORSAGE was not far off the top pick in that July 3 race and she gets back to the main track after a turf experiment. (5) ATTENTIONSEEKER gets blinkers and a cut back in distance for this easier spot. (7) SHANGHAI KIMMY almost lasted for her maiden win in June and she is a speedy gal who rates a long look.

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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