Flying Black appears to be cycling back into form
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ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Flying Black peaked around this time last year and should make some noise in Thursday’s fourth race at Woodbine, a $25,000 claiming inner turf route for fillies and mares.
Flying Black won her second start in 2025 last June over the Tapeta at Presque Isle Downs. She doubled up here in July on the Tapeta and got the hat trick Aug. 1 in a $25,000 starter handicap on the inner turf, for which she earned an 81 Beyer Speed Figure, one of her best.
Flying Black tailed off in the fall against first-level allowance/optional-claiming company. Following a winter layoff, the daughter of leading North American sire Not This Time wound up third at this level going 7 1/2 furlongs on the inner turf on June 26.
Andrew Smith recently took over the training duties from Darwin Banach for Flying Black, and Smith was 0 for 11 with new acquisitions over the past five years. Smith has secured Pietro Moran for this engagement, and the meet’s leading rider knows the 8-year-old well.
Among the others in the nine-horse field are English Jubilee, Foxy Diva, Catch the Drift, and Purrfect Girl.
English Jubilee won a $25,000 nonwinners-of-two claimer on the inner course when in peak form last September. She finished on the fringes in all three of her races this year, ending up just behind Flying Black in fourth after a ground-saving trip June 26.
Jose Campos retains the mount on English Jubilee for trainer Richard Morden.
Foxy Diva rallied three wide for fifth when coming off the sidelines in a Tapeta sprint May 22 and has been conspicuous by her subsequent absence from competition. Last year, the daughter of Power Broker finished a close second and third in her two inner turf excursions.
Fraser Aebly inherits the mount from Moran on Foxy Diva, an 8-year-old with just four wins to her credit.
The Mike Mattine-trained Catch the Drift has been a successful claim by owner Hardeo Bhupaul. He claimed her for $25,000 from trainer Mark Casse last August, after which she was competitive against $25,000 nonwinners-of-three company.
Catch the Drift was protected by waiver when third in her season opener. She cleared the nonwinners-of-three condition most recently going 6 1/2 furlongs on the Tapeta under Jeffrey Alderson. She has just four turf races on her record, the best of which was an inner turf tally in the race from which she was claimed.
Purrfect Girl has stuck to racing on Tapeta since October, when she eked out a victory over $25,000 nonwinners-of-three stock on the inner turf. She competed all winter, beating $5,000 claimers at Turfway in March, after which she won back-to-back starter/optional claimers here in May. Her winning streak ended June 21 when she could only mange fifth as the heavy favorite in $7,500 starter allowance.
Rafael Hernandez will get a leg up from trainer Mike Wright Jr. on Purrfect Girl.
Post time for Thursday’s eight-race program is 3:10 p.m.
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