Favorites look legitimate on Woodbine undercard

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – In addition to Society’s Chairman in the Halton and Sand Cove in the Elgin, favorites could rule the roost in the other four $125,000 yearling sales stakes on Monday’s program.

Drunken Love, who is coming into the Kenora off a 6 1/2-length victory in Fort Erie’s Daryl Wells Sr. Memorial over five furlongs of dirt, looms the one to beat in the six-furlong Kenora for 3-year-olds and upward.

“I thought it was tremendous,” said trainer Norm McKnight. “It wasn’t a real tough race, in terms of quality, but the way he did it was very impressive. He looked very strong.”

Drunken Love, claimed for $62,500 by McKnight in June 2009, had finished second in the previous year’s Kenora and was fourth last year.

Although he finished seventh here in the six-furlong New Providence prior to his Fort Erie venture, McKnight is inclined to forgive that effort.

“He tore a gluteal muscle behind, and I think that’s what caused him to run so poorly,” said McKnight. “All indications are that he’s fine now.”

◗ Trainer Bill Tharrenos will saddle a trio of 2-year-old fillies in the Muskoka – Tree Pose, Lucky Be Me, and the maiden Kalypso Kerry.

Tree Pose will be favored off her front-running score in the six-furlong Nandi Stakes. Her only loss in three starts took place second-time out, when she was second to the unbeaten Roxy Gap in the Shady Well Stakes.

Based on an Aug. 28 workout, Tharrenos predicted that the seven-furlong distance of the Muskoka will be within Tree Pose’s range.

“The way she worked, I have no doubts that she’ll get the distance,” said Tharrenos. “In the afternoon, when somebody looks her in the eye, she just kicks in. She pins her ears and goes.”

Tree Pose and Lucky Be Me breezed five-eighths together in 59.40 seconds on Aug. 28, much to the delight of Tharrenos.

“It was pretty impressive,” said Tharrenos. “They’re both doing exceptionally well.”

Lucky Be Me won her debut with ease in May, and was idle for two months before ending up fifth in the July 18 Shady Well. She ran evenly for third in the Aug. 8 Nandi.

Tharrenos said Lucky Be Me got a break on the farm after notching her debut.

“I turned her out because there was nowhere to run her,” Tharrenos recalled.

“I was disappointed when she broke a little sluggishly in her second start, and got bumped at the gate. She was ready in her third start. She ran her race.”

◗ Report Card Time heads the Simcoe, a seven-furlong test for male 2-year-olds.

Report Card Time got away slowly before rallying for second in his opener. When moved to the turf for his second outing, he romped in a six-furlong maiden special, registering a 78 Beyer.

Trainer Ralph Biamonte thinks Report Card Time might be as good on the Polytrack as he is on the grass.

“He ran pretty good the first time on the Poly, except for being so green,” Biamonte explained.

“I’m hoping he can run as good on the Poly. He’s come up to it good.”

◗ Clear Lake should be tough in the Algoma, a 1 1/16-mile route for fillies and mares.

She was in solid Polytrack form before her last outing July 15, when she was a fading fifth in a second-level optional claimer on the grass.

Trainer Paul Attard said Clear Lake simply isn’t as good on the grass as she is on Polytrack, which is why he passed on the Victoriana Stakes after her last start, with the Algoma in mind.

“Her last race was more of an experiment because we were looking at the Victoriana, an Ontario-sired stakes on the turf,” said Attard.

“We gave her a nice freshening-up. She doesn’t really like the hot weather, so we try not to run her too much. Last year, we gave her a break around the same time, and she ran her biggest race off the layoff.”

– additional reporting by Ron Gierkink