Arms makes grass debut in second leg of Woodbine Turf Sprint Series

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – There’s an intriguing new shooter in the second leg of the Woodbine Turf Sprint Series on Friday, the Gun Runner gelding Arms, who makes his turf debut in the $25,000 starter allowance/$40,000 claimer going six furlongs.

Trained by Mark Casse for Quintessential Racing Florida, Arms graduated over $25,000 maidens second time out on the Tapeta on May 7 at Gulfstream Park. When moving out an eighth of a mile to 6 1/2 furlongs here June 25, the 4-year-old rallied four wide to win a hybrid Tapeta race for nonwinners-of-two allowance types and $50,000 claiming sophomores.

The popular Gun Runner has produced mostly dirt runners, along with just 6 percent winners in turf sprints. But Arms’s dam, Good Strike, is a half-sister to Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf victor Hit It a Bomb and the successful turf miler Border Town.

Declan Carroll will ride Arms, who has to catch the consistent Emicrack and front-runner Sir Seamus.

When exiting a two-month break July 6, Emicrack drifted out late and narrowly lost the opening leg of the series, a five-furlong inner-turf dash. The red-hot Sahin Civaci retains the mount on the win-shy veteran.

Emicrack is making his second start off a $25,000 claim by trainer Marty Drexler and last year’s Sovereign Award-winning owner Bruno Schickedanz. Drexler, currently second in the standings here behind Casse, has posted a 22 percent strike rate second time off a claim over the past 2 1/2 years, with a return on investment of $1.65.

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Three horses were entered for the $40,000 claiming price – Sir Seamus, Ready for a Fight, and Red River Rebel.

Sir Seamus missed the break in the first leg of the series before checking in fourth after tracking the leaders on the outside, an unfamiliar trip for the speedster. Expect him to go straight to the front with a realistic chance to wire the field under second-leading rider Rafael Hernandez.

Ready for a Fight was claimed from Casse for $50,000 when winning his first start of the meet over 5 1/2 furlongs on Tapeta. He has missed the board in his last two outings over the surface. He finished seventh the only time he competed on the grass early in his career at Santa Anita.

Red River Rebel won an Ontario-sired stakes at 2 and 3, but the 5-year-old has been in a tailspin since winning a conditioned allowance/optional claimer in October. He was fifth in the opening leg of this series, his fourth straight lackluster performance.

Drexler also sends out Four Aces High, who was a fading fifth behind two next-out winners in a six-furlong, main-turf allowance on June 25. He defeated nonwinners-of-three opposition on June 9 in one of the best races of his career.

Rounding out the seventh race field are Jazz Hands, Romantic Gamble, and Happymac.

Post time for the eight-race card is 1:05 p.m.

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