Flashaway tries turf in featured allowance

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – The fast-working comebacker Flashaway makes his turf debut Friday at Woodbine in a featured first-level allowance.

Flashaway is a 3-year-old trained by Mark Casse, who swept both stakes here last weekend.

Flashaway won comfortably at first asking in a maiden special weight sprint last August under Patrick Husbands, who has the mount Friday. He subsequently ran fourth behind International Star and Conquest Typhoon in the Grade 3 Grey Stakes.

Flashaway raced twice in the fall on dirt at Churchill. He closed wide for second in an allowance route and was sixth in the Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes.

Flashaway’s recent works include two bullet five-furlong moves on the Polytrack, most notably a sizzling 58-second work May 3.

The one-mile feature lured nine others who will compete for a base purse of $58,600.

Key contenders

Flashaway (Last 3 Beyers: 80-79-59)

* He is by the good turf sire Eskendereya, and his dam dropped a stakes winner in Ireland. His second dam, the Natalma Stakes winner Ocean’s Answer, is a half-sister to the Canadian champion Northernette and leading sire Storm Bird, a Group 1 winner in England.

Oakton (Last 3 Beyers: 68-67-35)

* The other Casse entrant also is experimenting on grass but without much pedigree for the surface. He wired $30,000 maidens at Keeneland before ending up fourth here in an allowance route on the Polytrack. He’s adding blinkers and could set the pace under Alan Garcia.

Smart Spree (Last 3 Beyers: 81-63-65)

* He competed in the final two-thirds of the 2014 Canadian Triple Crown, finishing fourth in the Prince of Wales Stakes on dirt at Fort Erie and 10th in the 12-furlong Breeders’ Stakes here on grass.

* Following a five-month break here May 10, he seemed headed for victory in a seven-furlong allowance before being overtaken late by the flying favorite, Tower of Texas.

Crushin Hard (Last 3 Beyers: 62-77-70)

* He wintered at Gulfstream, where he finished far back last time in an optional claimer won by Morning Calm, who returned to capture a stakes there with a 92 Beyer Speed Figure.

* The 6-year-old has a record of 4-3-1 in 15 outings over Woodbine’s expansive course. Perhaps his best effort was a win over Turkish in an 11-furlong starter allowance in October.

Holy Whirl Wind (Last 3 Beyers: 62-77-69)

* His 2014 turf form included a front-running score in a $40,000 conditioned claimer and a fourth in an allowance sprint. He should be prominent from the outset in his second start off the sidelines.