Dixie's Gamble shows best stuff in Overskate Stakes

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Dixie’s Gamble didn’t have to face the imposing champion Pink Lloyd in Saturday’s Overskate Stakes, and the Ivan Dalos homebred had no problem disposing of a depleted field Saturday in the seven-furlong sprint for Ontario-sired runners.

Dixie’s Gamble had failed to duplicate his impressive second-level optional-claiming score of June 9 in three subsequent stakes starts, which were all won by Pink Lloyd. But he rebounded from a fading fifth in the Aug. 28 Kenora on Saturday with a handy score over Magical Man.

“His last race was a little bit of a disappointment, and coming into this race he was just so aggressive,” said trainer Josie Carroll. “I had a lot of confidence in him. He was doing really well and peaked at the right time. He ran back to his first race of the year, where he exploded.”

Dalos has two up-and-coming stakes performers with Carroll. Avie’s Samurai finished a close third in Saturday’s Princess Elizabeth Stakes for Canadian-bred 2-year-old fillies, and she could be a prospect for next year’s Woodbine Oaks. Gamble’s Candy notched her first stakes win in the Oct. 13 Ruling Angel for 3-year-old fillies with an 88 Beyer Speed Figure.

Carroll said the unbeaten 2-year-old Corsi is headed for the $225,000 Coronation Futurity at 1 1/8 miles for Canadian-breds on Tapeta Nov. 23. He won a 7 1/2-furlong allowance on the inner turf second time out on Oct. 13.

“He’s done everything I’ve asked so far,” Carroll said. “I guess we’ll head to the Coronation. I don’t think the turf was particularly his forte. I ran him in there because I wanted to get him around two turns before the Coronation, and I wasn’t sure that I’d get the opportunity.”

Avie’s Flatter and He’s a Macho Man were both competitive in all three legs of this year’s Canadian Triple Crown, and both have been on a break, according to Carroll.

“They were tired horses at the end of their campaign,” Carroll said. “They danced every dance, and did it well. They’re both having a bit of a freshening.”

He’s a Macho Man has been idle since nosing out Avie’s Flatter for second in the Aug. 17 Breeders’ Stakes. Avie’s Flatter subsequently finished fifth when favored the Grade 3 Ontario Derby before heading to the sidelines.

◗ Gray Phantom always brings his “A” game to the Gray Handicap, a starter for gray/roan runners. After narrowly losing the inaugural running in 2017, the 7-year-old gelding won it in 2018. Last Sunday’s renewal was rained off the grass but Gray Phantom got the job done on the Tapeta at 5-1 with Eurico DaSilva aboard.

Marty Drexler trains Gray Phantom for owner Augusto Onesi, who claimed him for $20,000 in July of 2017.