Frankie gets top billing

ETOBICOKE, Ont. - Goldies Legacy, perhaps the best 2-year-old seen at Woodbine so far this year, would have been favored in Sunday's Vandal Stakes, but trainer Sid Attard said Friday that the unbeaten colt will be scratched.

"He's a little sick," Attard revealed. "It's nothing serious. He should be okay next year, but he probably won't be back this year."

With the Goldies Legacy out, Frankiefourfingers deserves top billing in the six-furlong contest for Canadian-breds.

Frankiefourfingers, based at Fort Erie with trainer by Ed Freeman, debuted with little fanfare on June 29, in the restricted Clarendon Stakes. He led all the way at 15-1 in that 5 1/2-furlong dash, and earned a 73 Beyer Figure for his efforts.

Frankiefourfingers, a son of hot freshman sire Elusive Quality, was a $135,000 buy-back from a local 2-year-old sale in early June. He cost $17,000 as a yearling at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky July sale.

"I knew he was quick," said Freeman. "We bought him back for a lot of money. You have to be pretty sure before you do that. The only question was how he'd handle the gate and the other horses. Until you bring them over, you don't really know."

Frankiefourfingers will make his first start with Lasix on Sunday.

Also entered in the $164,700 Vandal were Wando, Magic Jack, Shipman, Biddy's Lad, Snake Pit, and Mr. Believable. Magic Jack was also reported sick on Friday and won't run, according to trainer John Ross.

Wando, a beautifully bred son of Langfuhr and Monmouth Oaks winner Kathie's Colleen, came from just off the pace to win his only start, in a six-furlong maiden race, for which he got a 73 Beyer.

"He got left in the gate," noted Mike Keogh, who trains Wando. "Then, he ran up inside of horses, and [jockey Jim McAleney] had to get him out in the clear between the three-eighths and quarter pole, because he wasn't going to get through. He faltered a little, but went on about his business after he cracked him a couple of times.

"He had shown a lot going into that race," Keogh added. "He's always been my pick of the bunch. He's a picture of health."

Snake Pit has the highest Beyer in the field - 79 - earned when he finished a valiant second to the promising Added Edge in a 6 1/2-furlong maiden special in his Aug. 8 debut.

Biddy's Lad comes off a front-running score in the restricted Bull Page Stakes, for which he was awarded just a 69 Beyer.

for entries.

Subscribers: to purchase Past Performances.

Non-subscribers: Click here to purchase Past Performances.