Four stakes on midweek card

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Brass in Pocket could be money in the bank Wednesday at Woodbine in the $127,250 Classy 'N Smart, a 1 1/16-mile stakes for Ontario-sired fillies and mares.

The eight-race card also includes three other stakes - the Display, Bessarabian, and Sunny's Halo. All three races were originally scheduled for last weekend, when racing was canceled because of poor track conditions.

The speedy Brass in Pocket has won 4 of 7 starts while banking $222,805 for owner Frank DiGiulio Jr. and trainer Bob Tiller. She took the restricted Eternal Search Stakes in July, but is coming off a 16-length drubbing in the open La Lorgnette Stakes.

"We were really disappointed with her last race," Tiller said. "We couldn't find an excuse for her. We've given her some time off since that race, and she's really sharp. We're looking for a big race from her."

The track has favored speed on two of the last three Wednesday nights, and such a bias would obviously boost the chances of Brass in Pocket.

The $135,625 Display, a 1 1/16-mile stakes for 2-year-olds, could be the most anticipated race of the evening because of the presence of Gigawatt, a potential Kentucky Derby candidate owned by Stonerside Stable.

A son of Wild Again, Gigawatt graduated by 17 lengths in his second start and then ran second in the Grade 2 Grey Breeders' Cup Stakes on Oct. 6.

Gigawatt tracked a moderate pace in the 1 1/16-mile Grey, and seemed headed for victory at the top of the stretch, but favored Wando blew by him at the eighth pole.

Trained Mark Casse said he was disappointed with the Grey result.

"Gigawatt doesn't have a real quick turn of foot," Casse said, "but he has great endurance. What we should have done was run faster early, make Wando come after us, and see who the best horse is."

Allowance-winning sprinter Whispered Warning, entered in the Display, was recently sold by Casse to Jets Racing Stable and trainer Abraham Katryan, who believes the colt will handle the move to a route.

"I've been galloping him two miles, and he hasn't gotten lazy on the second lap," Katryan said.

The Elliott Walden-trained entry of Victory at Sea and Madame Red will likely be favored over the Ralph Biamonte-trained entry of Feathers and Miss Sweep in the Grade 3 Bessarabian Handicap, a seven-furlong stakes worth $166,800.

Quiet Dare heads the $108,000 Sunny's Halo, a 6 1/2-furlong sprint for 2-year-olds.