Chocolate Ride back from layoff for Woodbine feature

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Chocolate Ride returns from a long layoff Friday at Woodbine in the ninth race. He doesn’t possess much turf breeding but deserves top billing in the $55,900 maiden special weight race, scheduled for 1 1/16 miles on grass.

Chocolate Ride, a 4-year-old trained by Mark Casse, made both of his starts last fall. A tardy beginning led to a belated rally when he debuted over seven furlongs here in September. He was bet down to favoritism in a nine-furlong maiden special at Keeneland on Oct. 4, when he earned an 87 Beyer Speed Figure for finishing a prominent second.

Chocolate Ride is by the top sire Candy Ride, who’s gotten quality runners over all surfaces. His dam has been an excellent producer, but neither of her turf starters found the winner’s circle.

The ninth race drew a field of 12, including main-track-only entrants Supreme Commander and Quiet Country.

KEY CONTENDERS

Chocolate Ride (Last 2 Beyers: 87-74)

◗ FORMULATOR FACT: Casse has an 18 percent strike rate with six-month-plus layoff types going from synthetic to turf over the last five years, with a return on investment of $2.17.

Indian Guide (Last 3 Beyers: 71-65-82)

◗ Casse’s other entrant placed in three of his six excursions. He rallied for third in his only turf try July 13 behind the stakes-placed Go Bro and Unbridled War, who came back to graduate with a 76 Beyer.

◗ Justin Stein inherits the mount from Patrick Husbands, who’s serving a suspension.

Free to Dance (Last 3 Beyers: 74-21-47)

◗ The Sam-Son Farm homebred was in poor Polytrack form before finishing third after leading the way on grass last time out June 28. The longshot winner of that event, Lafontaine, returned to capture the Toronto Cup Stakes, and the 11th-place finisher subsequently beat $25,000 maidens.

◗ FORMULATOR FACT: Trainer Malcolm Pierce has scored at a 15 percent clip with 31-60-day comebackers on turf going back five years ($1.29 ROI).

Chris’s Brew (Last 2 Beyers: 50-35)

◗ He raced very wide before ending up fourth in his first route start in Ontario-sired maiden special company on Polytrack on July 20.

◗ The son of high-percentage turf sire Milwaukee Brew is a half-brother to the stakes-placed turf expert Why Katherine.

Johnny Bear (Last 2 Beyers: 60-61)

◗ At $280,000, he was the priciest yearling to sell in Canada in recent years, but the 3-year-old didn’t show much in his two outings. Turning back off a flat fifth going 1 1/4 miles could lead to marked improvement from the son of English Channel.