Four Aces High gets back on turf after strong comeback
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ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Four Aces High goes back to the grass following a solid comeback race on Tapeta in Friday’s sixth race at Woodbine, a nonwinners-of-three hybrid sprint combining Ontario-sired allowance types with $40,000 claimers.
Four Aces High was claimed from a lackluster performance by trainer Marty Drexler when he dropped in for $25,000 in his final 2022 outing in December. With blinkers on following a winter layoff here May 19, he was protected by waiver in a $25,000 conditioned-claiming sprint, finishing second under Kazushi Kimura after pressing the pace, one of his better performances on Tapeta.
Both of Four Aces High’s victories have come on the main turf. The 7-year-old placed in several turf sprints at this level last year, including a neck loss going five-eighths on the inner course.
From post 6, Eswan Flores takes over from Kimura, who’s riding British Royalty in the Grade 2 Belmont Gold Cup on Friday.
Also entered in the 6 1/2-furlong main turf event are Sooner Lunar, Winyah Bay, Uncle Joe, Hunt Master, Point to the Stars, and Guns n’ Rojas.
Trainer Angus Buntain sends out Hunt Master and Guns n’ Rojas.
Hunt Master could go favored in his second start off the sidelines. He wasn’t a factor in the first two legs of the 2022 Canadian Triple Crown before blossoming in the fall with two narrow losses in Ontario-sired stakes, the Lake Superior on turf and the Lake Ontario on Tapeta.
Emma-Jayne Wilson retains the mount on Hunt Master after a fifth-place finish against tougher allowance opposition May 21.
Ontario-bred Guns n’ Rojas is nominated to the Triple Crown. He found his calling as a closing sprinter late in his juvenile campaign. After graduating at 10-1 in November, he doubled up at 16-1 in a seven-furlong Ontario-sired allowance in December.
Guns n’ Rojas probably needed his season debut on May 20, during which he got away slowly before trailing throughout. His best of three turf tries was a close second.
David Carroll, currently fifth in the standings with 10 wins, inherits the mount from Wilson, who was the co-second-leading rider heading into this week with 15 scores. Kimura is the runaway leader with 30 wins.
Uncle Joe has the bounce-back angle going for him. Trained by Steve Chicop, the son of Souper Speedy led all the way in his April 30 season opener before coming up empty in another Tapeta sprint three weeks later. He filled out the trifecta in each of his grass outings in a pair of Ontario-sired stakes last year.
Patrick Husbands takes over from Kimura on Uncle Joe, whose tactical speed may come in handy with the portable rail in the outermost lane 5.
Winyah Bay was scratched from a race for fillies and mares on Thursday. Like Four Aces High, she’s competing with a $40,000 claiming tag.
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