Enahm has pedigree for surface in debut

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Turf racing is winding down at the marathon Woodbine meet. High-priced $40,000 maidens combined with Ontario-sired maidens will get one last crack at the roomy main course in Friday’s fourth race going 1 1/16 miles.

Trainer Jonathan Thomas, who won with three of his last six Turfway-based runners at Woodbine, sends out unraced Enahm in the fourth. Enahm posted a mixture of fast and slow breezes over Turfway’s Tapeta before working a half-mile in 48.60 seconds from the gate here last Friday.

Enahm is by Ghostzapper, the sire of three Queen’s Plate winners, who has produced 10 percent debut winners and 13 percent turf winners. His dam, Kundray, by outstanding broodmare sire Distorted Humor, was a turf specialist who won two New York-bred allowances and banked nearly $150,000.

Enahm resides in the barn of sub-trainer Katerina Vassilieva, and Rafael Hernandez has the mount on the gelding, who competes for $40,000.

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Chasing Trouble is dropping from open maiden special weight company, off a wide fifth in a main turf route that has yet to yield a next-out winner. His best race was a ground-saving third in August in a one-mile inner turf event for which he got a 69 Beyer Speed Figure, the highest in the field this year.

Trainer Michelle Love’s go-to rider, Patrick Husbands, takes over on Chasing Trouble, who has worked well heading into this race.

Pat’s Gamble is making his first grass start off back-to-back seconds going 1 1/16 miles on the Tapeta. He’s by Gamble’s Exchange, who has sired an excellent 20 percent winners from 35 turf starters. The dam placed in maiden-special company on the grass at Keeneland, but none of her three turf runners found the mark.

Kazushi Kimura will ride Pat’s Gamble for trainer Kevin Attard, who scored at an 11 percent clip with first-time grass runners in the last five years, with a return on investment of $1.66.

Mason’s Music is taking on the boys off three consecutive top-three placings against $25,000 maiden fillies and mares. Sofia Vives, the hot leading apprentice who won her 100th race at Fort Erie on Tuesday, inherits the mount from Kimura.

War in Charge has been sidelined since a fade job versus maiden-special opposition on the Tapeta in December. He lost a nail-biter to the talented One Bay Hemingway in his only other outing in an inner turf route at this level a year ago. His trainer, Tino Attard, had a 13 percent strike rate with six-month-plus layoff runners during the past five years, with an ROI of $1.99.

Big Shooter missed the board in each of his last three maiden-special starts, although a repeat of his fourth-place finish over a main course labeled as good could put him in contention.

Greystone and Guard of Honour are both moving up off a disappointing performance and a $25,000 claim.

Rounding out the fourth-race field are Quiet Vista and This Dude a Breeze.

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