English Actor likely favorite over his preferred course

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – English Actor gets back onto the inner turf in Saturday’s 10th race at Woodbine. He will likely play the role of favorite in the 1 1/16-mile conditioned allowance with a $50,000 optional claiming tag.

Trained by Rachel Halden for the meet’s leading owner, Chiefswood Stables, English Actor finished a wide seventh behind Silawi, Tawny Port, and Nations Pride in the Grade 1 Canadian International last October. Three weeks later, he nearly wired the field in an inner turf route at this level when a chalky second, after which he ran a flat fifth on the Tapeta.

Off a winter layoff May 23, English Actor led over the preferred inside part of the Tapeta before giving way late to end up second to Wyoming Bill. Romero Maragh picks up the mount on the homebred in this 10-horse contest, which doesn’t contain much other speed.

Among the other entrants are Summer Commander, Cairo Caper, Wicked Django, Pierre, Magna Time, and Sedburys Ghost.

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Summer Commander is going long for the first time and could vie for the lead or assume a stalking position under Rafael Hernandez. He was in fine form last summer before tailing off in the fall and wound up fifth when exiting the sidelines in a six-furlong sprint at this level. Trainer Stuart Simon has decent numbers second time off a layoff, but his recent sprint-to-route stats are weak. Summer Commander has a sprint-oriented pedigree.

Cairo Caper completed his 2025 campaign in good form in Kentucky. He was freshened after a troubled fifth in a second-level allowance April 9 at Keeneland and is back with trainer Nathan Squires, who launched Cairo Caper’s career two years ago at 2.

Wicked Django earned his 15 minutes of fame with a 24-1 upset score in the Grade 2 Autumn on the Tapeta in November of 2024. The 6-year-old has started just once in the interim, a seventh in the Grade 3 Vigil last September. He changed trainers during the offseason, going from Rodney Barrow to Renico Lafond.

Trainer Kevin Attard sends out Pierre and Magna Time for Al and Bill Ulwelling, the owners of 2025 King’s Plate victor Mansetti. Both horses wintered in Florida.

Pierre finished third and fifth in a pair of first-level allowances on the Gulfstream Park grass before clearing that condition in a Tapeta route here May 2. He was second in each of his last two inner-turf excursions last year. Leading rider Pietro Moran, who rode him in a fourth-place finish in the 2024 King’s Plate, has the mount.

Magna Time hasn’t cracked the top three since ending up second at this level on the Tapeta here Dec. 6. He graduated over the inner turf last September.

Sedburys Ghost captured the 2025 Plate Trial before tanking in the King’s Plate. He was unplaced in two inner-turf outings last fall and was a wide third behind the classy Ice Chocolat over a rail-biased Tapeta when coming off the bench May 17.

Post time for the first of 11 races is 1 p.m.

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