Drexler takes two shots in first leg of Woodbine Turf Sprint Series
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ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Owner Bruno Schickedanz and trainer Marty Drexler send out Silent Flash and Emicrack in the opening leg of the Woodbine Turf Sprint Series on Thursday, a race that was on last Friday’s canceled Woodbine card. The five-furlong inner turf dash is for older runners who raced for $25,000 or less in 2022-23, or $40,000 claimers.
Silent Flash was claimed by his current connections for $15,000 in June 2022, after which he lost a nail-biter to the hard-knocking Reconfigure in a leg of this series in July. Following another runner-up placing in August, the durable 9-year-old finished sixth in another $25,000 claimer before heading to the sidelines.
Silent Flash resurfaced on Feb. 15 at Gulfstream, when he attended a fast pace before flattening out to fifth. He won his last start there March 8 going five-eighths, from which third-place finisher Xy Speed exited to win another $35,000 conditioned claimer, before ending up second in a $60,000 handicap.
Emicrack, one of a host of front-runners in the 10-horse event, is making his first start for Schickedanz. The Chilean-bred led until the sixteenth pole before weakening to second last time out in a $25,000 Tapeta sprint. Going back five years, Drexler had scored at a 25 percent clip off the claim, with a return on investment of $2.17.
Sir Seamus is the lone entrant who wasn’t in the original field. The need-the-lead type is dropping out of an allowance/optional-claiming route to try a distance over which he has not hit the board, and it will be interesting to see how much fuel he’ll add to the pace fire.
Above Par is taking on the boys off a gate-to-wire score in a five-furlong Tapeta dash for $25,000 females, for which she got a big 90 Beyer Speed Figure in her third straight win. She was claimed for $16,000 from her penultimate start at Tampa. Her trainer, Zeljko Krcmar, had a 26 percent strike rate second time off a claim during the past five years, with an ROI of $2.10.
Restricted stakes winner Red River Rebel is dropping out of a conditioned allowance to compete for the $40,000 tag. He was a non-factor during a wide trip in that Tapeta sprint, but the chunky chestnut has worked a bullet half-mile on the training track in the interim and could be rejuvenated.
Sunspear brings improving $25,000-claiming form to this engagement and could sneak into the exotics after an inside trip in his third start off the bench.
Western Trouble was a troubled fourth behind Sunspear and wound up third behind Emicrack in his two most recent excursions, both against $25,000 claimers.
Win-shy Aim for the Sky placed in all three of his turf starts, without a victory. The other speed in the field could run him into the ground.
Completing the field are the quick Fort Erie shipper Maren River and Happymac, who’s moving up off a $23,500 claim in his seasonal bow.
Post time for the nine-race card is 4:50 p.m.
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