Casse pair drop to claiming, a strong angle for the trainer
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ETOBICOKE, Ontario – First time for a claiming tag at Woodbine is a productive angle for leading trainer Mark Casse, who sends out the dropping Pedigeek and Domer Allure in Friday’s feature on the inner turf.
A daughter of the late, great Arrogate, Pedigeek made all six of her starts on the grass at five different tracks. The 3-year-old placed in two of her first three outings over the winter in Florida before heading north to Keeneland, where she was a wide-closing fifth in an April 7 maiden-special.
Exiting a break here June 17, Pedigeek rallied four wide to win a maiden-special going the 1 1/16-mile distance of Friday’s race on the inner course.
Pedigeek gets some significant class relief Friday in the hybrid event for nonwinners-of-two Ontario-sired allowance types and $40,000 claimers. Going back five years here, Casse won at a 20 percent clip with the first-time-claiming angle, with a return on investment of $2.36, according to DRF Formulator.
Emma-Jayne Wilson rides Pedigeek for D. J. Stable, an owner with whom she teamed up to win the Aug. 13 Bison City Stakes on Me and My Shadow.
Pedigeek has yet to crack 70 on the Beyer Speed Figure scale, but Domer Allure got a 72 Beyer in her narrow loss at this level over seven furlongs on the main turf Aug. 12.
Domer Allure crushed Ontario-sired and $40,000 maidens with a 74 Beyer over 7 1/2 furlongs on the inner layout on June 3. She found five furlongs too short for her when eighth in the July 8 Georgian Bay Stakes for Ontario-sired 3-year-old fillies. Apprentice Sofia Vives retains the mount on the daughter of Silent Name for owner by Greg Ramsby.
In a field devoid of speed, Well Actually could take some catching after breaking from the outside post 10 under Luis Contreras.
Trained by Darren Glennon, Well Actually came up a neck short after setting soft fractions two starts ago. In another two-turn inner turf race for $25,000 claimers most recently, she finished second again after a stalking trip over a course labeled as good.
La Princessa Polly checked in fifth and third behind Well Actually in her two outings since beating $15,000 nonwinners-of-two opposition June 15. The closer is shedding some weight under apprentice Amanda Vandermeersch, who won the nightcap on the grass on Tuesday at Fort Erie.
Grace On the Green rallied stoutly down the center of the main turf from 11th to graduate with a $40,000 tag Aug. 5. The late-blooming 5-year-old has since worked a bullet half-mile over the turf training course for trainer Jennifer Stein.
Inscrutable has a maiden victory on the inner course to her credit. The daughter of former leading turf sire Kitten’s Joy is making her second start off a $25,000 claim by trainer Randy Thompson.
Post time for the expanded 10-race program is 1:05 p.m.
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