Attard strong off the claim

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Trainer Sid Attard has posted sensational numbers first time off the claim since the beginning of 2005, winning at a 39 percent clip with a positive return on investment.

Attard has won stakes with several claimed runners, including Seattlespectacular, One for Rose, and Just Rushing, who was taken from Stronach Stable. Attard's latest claim from that outfit, Andalusian, will contest Thursday's Woodbine feature, a 1 1/16-mile allowance for horses who have not won three races.

Andalusian won his maiden at 1 1/4 miles on the grass here in 2005. He made his first eight starts this year at the first allowance category, with his best effort being a narrow loss on the grass in June. After a lackluster try going 1 1/4 miles on the Polytrack on Oct. 19, Andalusian was dropped in for $40,000 by trainer Brian Lynch on Nov. 18 and the gelding was claimed by Attard while ending up third.

Attard is taking Andalusian off Lasix, and has enlisted leading rider Emma Wilson for the mount.

Other possibilities in Thursday's first race are Bear's Kid, His Smoothness, and Laughing Moon.

Bear's Kid will likely be favored under Jim McAleney. He captured the Grade 2 Summer Stakes on the grass at 2, and was fifth in the Grade 3 Grey BC Stakes on the dirt.

Bear's Kid missed the first half of the meeting, and was a close second in a $62,500 optional claimer over the all-weather track in his season debut. Most recently, going a mile and 70 yards at the same level, he finished third, just a half-length back of the hard-trying winner, High Volt Jolt.

Trainer Reade Baker has sent out Bear's Kid for two five-furlong breezes leading up to this race, which could be a peak one for the son of Lemon Drop Kid.

Laughing Moon had a productive three-race campaign in May, winning a first-level allowance and placing in two other allowances. He struggled on the Polytrack after returning from a summer break, but is exiting a second-place finish in a sprint at this level.

His Smoothness recorded a 49-1 upset in a grass allowance when returning from a one-year layoff Sept. 6. He has since run in three consecutive $62,500 optional claimers on the Polytrack, finishing second in one of them.

Garry Cruise will ride His Smoothness for trainer Jim Day, who will also saddle the capable entry of Jiggy Jiggy and Seeyounexttuesday in Thursday's second race, a maiden special for fillies and mares.