Avie's Flatter among stakes horses in allowance

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – It’s been a while since a conditioned allowance on the main track at Woodbine attracted a full field of 14, which is the case in Sunday’s featured 11th race. There are several stakes winners in the lineup, including 2018 Canadian champion male 2-year-old Avie’s Flatter, who’s looking to end a slump in the seven-furlong sprint.

Avie’s Flatter was a gutsy winner of his 2019 season opener in the Grade 3 Transylvania at Keeneland, but the son of Flatter is winless in eight starts since then. He did place in all three legs of the 2019 Canadian Triple Crown, and was third in his 2020 opener in allowance company on the inner turf before ending up second in the Grade 2 Eclipse.

Avie’s Flatter hasn’t started since a flat fourth in the Grade 3 Seagram Cup last July, but has worked nicely for his return to action, including a five-eighths breeze in 58.20 on the Tapeta May 21. Luis Contreras will ride him again for trainer Josie Carroll.

Solidify, victorious in the Grade 3 Grey Stakes in 2018, hasn’t raced since a third-place finish behind Ride a Comet Oct. 16. A closer, Solidify prevailed following a similar layoff at this level last June going seven-eighths under Patrick Husbands, who has the mount on Sunday.

A Thread of Blue is making his local debut and first synthetic track start. The 5-year-old won several turf stakes, including the Saratoga Derby, in front-running style during his formative years, but then struggled during an abbreviated 2020 campaign. He showed signs of life most recently when third behind stablemate Chuck Willis in a second-level allowance at Gulfstream. Trainer Mark Casse worked him three times here on the Tapeta in recent weeks, and Emma-Jayne Wilson has the call.

Roaring Forties is dropping out of graded stakes company for his first outing since Nov. 21, when he was a slow-starting sixth behind Ride a Comet and Pink Lloyd in the Grade 2 Kennedy Road.

Sunday’s marathon 13-race card also includes a first-level allowance on the grass that attracted a diverse, full field. Queen’s Plate contender Haddassah is taking on older opposition in the 1 1/16-mile event on the main course.

A son of European champion 2-year-old Air Force Blue, Haddassah won his debut going long on the Tapeta with a 79 Beyer Speed Figure Nov. 1. He was entered in the Nov. 22 Grey Stakes, which was on the second half of a card that was canceled due to inclement weather.

Trainer Kevin Attard felt Sunday’s race isn’t an ideal spot to come back in, but said Haddassah needs racing experience.

“With the Plate coming up so quickly on Aug. 22, it doesn’t leave much room for error,” Attard said. “He’s doing well.”