Florida shippers main contenders in allowance

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – There are several racing fit Florida shippers in Sunday’s headliner, including Read On and Fighter in the Win, who are both making their Woodbine bow in the first-level allowance route with a $32,000 claiming option.

Read On, owned by Anthony Rogers, was a $50,000 claim at Gulfstream Park by trainer Rohan Crichton on Feb. 17, when he recorded his second straight runner-up finish in a high-priced conditioned claimer. He got a career high 87 Beyer when a close fifth in a first-level allowance on March 30 on the grass at Gulfstream, where he lost his last race by just a head after a wide journey in a $50,000 conditioned-claiming turf mile.

Shane Ellis has the mount Read On, a 4-year-old son of outstanding synthetic sire Ghostzapper.

The Marty Drexler-trained Fighter in the Win wired $35,000 opposition two back going long over Gulfstream’s Tapeta and was claimed by Paterpop Racing. When cutting back to 7 1/2 furlongs around two turns on the grass most recently in a starter allowance, the 5-year-old stalked the pace on the outside before fading to seventh.

Sahin Civaci rides Fighter in the Win, who could get softened up in a speed duel with Steak and Cheese.

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Steak and Cheese got the winter off after coming alive last fall. He wired starter/optional-claiming types with an 88 Beyer in November before back-to-back seconds in December, including in an allowance won by J P Hellish, who went on to have a productive campaign at Gulfstream.

There are three Canadian Triple Crown nominees in the 11-horse field – Roscar, Piper’s Factor, and Arashi. All three Ontario-bred sophomores wintered in Florida.

Roscar was gelded during the offseason after graduating in a seven-furlong maiden-special after a wide trip over an inside-favoring Tapeta surface here Nov. 19. The son of hot young sire Oscar Performance worked three times at Payson Park before three local Tapeta works in April under the guidance of trainer Rachel Halden.

Chiefswood Stables owns Roscar and Piper’s Factor, who finished second in both the Grade 3 Grey and Coronation Futurity here in November. Trained by Katerina Vassilieva, Piper’s Factor was stabled at Palm Meadows and went unplaced in two Gulfstream allowance outings on different surfaces in February and March.

Arashi made all three of his starts on the grass here last year. He won his maiden second time out by disqualification before running second behind eventual Canadian champion male 2-year-old My Boy Prince in his last race, the Oct. 14 Cup and Saucer Stakes.

Arashi wintered at Payson Park with trainer Gail Cox, who has excellent numbers with six-month-plus layoff runners. The Karakontie gelding is owned by his breeder, Sangreal Investments.

Peja Du was claimed for $10,000 at Gulfstream on Jan. 31 by Debra Rombis, who had him gelded after his second consecutive dull performance there Feb. 25.

The feature goes as the sixth on a nine-race card with a 1:10 p.m. post time.

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