Woodbine: King City looks tough off of last in Thursday sprint

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Ontario-sired nonwinners-of-three allowance competitors will line up Thursday in the seventh race at Woodbine, and King City should be prominent in the six-furlong sprint.

A Goldmart Farm homebred, King City placed in two Ontario-sired stakes last year at 2. This year, he has been something of an underachiever, winning just one of eight starts.

King City woke up when he finished a close third after leading the way in his first turf attempt Sept. 28. Two races later, he cleared the nonwinners-of-two Ontario-sired allowance condition over 6 1/2 furlongs on the Polytrack.

King City ran his best race ever when he went seven furlongs Nov. 28. He raced in midpack while four wide on the turn and then closed to lose the slow-paced allowance by a neck to Marked in Stone, earning a career-high 77 Beyer Speed Figure. The third-place finisher came right back to capture an allowance route at 8-1.

Eurico Da Silva will ride King City again for trainer Sid Attard, and they have solid numbers together.

Mr. Monty should be the dominant front-runner in the nine-horse field as he seeks his first win of the year. He returned from a six-week break to finish a game second in a 6 1/2-furlong allowance Nov. 7, when he registered a 76 Beyer. The winner, Mey’s Rocket, subsequently ran fourth in the restricted Sir Barton Stakes.

Mr. Monty placed in two other nonwinners-of-three allowances in September, which included a third behind the upwardly mobile Sniper and Marked in Stone.

Trainer Bob Tiller will give Steve Bahen a leg up on Mr. Monty, who is owned by 3 Sons Racing Stable.

Bahen has been riding Barbasgo, who is being reunited with Tyler Pizarro in the Thursday feature.

Trained by the old-timer John Calhoun, Barbasgo graduated in his 15th trip postward in a five-furlong maiden special Nov. 4. He was recently second to Rising Dough in a nonwinners-of-two allowance.

Rising Dough got away slowly before closing strongly under vigorous handling to prevail by a neck going six furlongs Nov. 25. He was disqualified from first for interference three starts ago Sept. 9, when he got a career-high 73 Beyer.

Khulna disappointed as the favorite when fourth behind King City on Nov. 28. He dead-heated for third behind a sharp Courtville in his penultimate outing.

Ruvee set slow fractions en route to beating open maiden special company Nov. 18. The filly Sunshine Promise also has speed.

Post time for the first of eight races is 2 p.m.