Bold Finish brings solid form

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - The appropriately named Bold Finish will try to keep his roll going in Friday's Woodbine headliner, an $80,000 optional claimer with a classy field of five.

Bold Finish came alive under jockey Robert Landry last fall, when he narrowly lost two consecutive Ontario-sired allowances. He capped his 2006 campaign by winning an Ontario-sired allowance by nearly three lengths, with an 85 Beyer Speed Figure.

Bold Finish picked up right where he left off in his season opener on May 12, taking an open first-level allowance with ease in a weak field. He met Ontario-sired stakes opposition over 1 1/16 miles in the June 9 Steady Growth, and wound up a distant second to New York-shipper Executive Choice.

Most recently, in a $62,500 optional claimer, Bold Finish stalked an average pace and took control early in the stretch before cruising to a comfortable score. His 1 1/16-mile time, 1:44, translated into a 90 Beyer.

Bold Finish, who is owned and bred by Bill Diamant, has been trained throughout his career by Phil Gracey.

Completing the field for the 1 1/16-mile feature are Powerful Touch, Bear's Kid, Etruscan, and Acoustic Shadow.

Powerful Touch, a 7-year-old Stronach Stable runner, finished a close second in the Grade 3 Holy Bull Stakes early in his 3-year-old season. He has been campaigned sporadically in the interim and was third in his first local appearance, in the 2005 Woodbine Slots Cup Handicap.

Powerful Touch has made two starts here on the Polytrack this year. He was second to Soul Rebel in a Mayo13 allowance route and has been laid up since finishing fourth in a seven-furlong optional claimer on June 3.

Bear's Kid captured the Grade 2 Summer Stakes here on the grass two years ago in his fourth start as a juvenile. He scored once in just three outings last year and has missed the board in each of his three appearances this year.

Etruscan ended a drought when he won a slow-placed preliminary allowance May 19. The step up to second-level allowance company was a significant one for him June 22, but he prevailed by a neck in a quality field, which included Head Chopper, High Volt Jolt, and Albarino.

Acoustic Shadow is the lone 3-year-old in the lineup. He ran third in a pair of stakes late last summer, but perhaps his best effort was runner-up placing to Jiggs Coz in the Display Stakes.