‘Gambles' provide hedge in Woodbine sprint

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Owner Ivan Dalos sends out the homebreds American Gamble and Henry’s Gamble with different trainers in Thursday’s Woodbine feature, a nonwinners-of-two Tapeta tilt combining Ontario-sired allowance types with $40,000 claimers.

The speedy American Gamble could set the table for Henry’s Gamble, or she could lead all the way in the six-furlong sprint. Trained by Mike DePaulo, she wired maidens in her season opener on the Tapeta, over which she finished second behind the good Verdejo going 5 1/2 furlongs at this level on June 18. She subsequently ran fourth in back-to-back turf events.

American Gamble faded to third after dueling up front most recently on the dirt at Fort Erie in the Rondeau Bay Stakes, which was the second race of a series for Ontario-sired 3-year-old fillies.

“I thought she ran okay,” DePaulo said. “The Fort Erie stretch is a little longer than Woodbine’s. We thought about going into the next leg of that series, but seven-eighths probably isn’t the right distance for her.”

American Gamble will break from post 2 in the seven-horse field under Luis Contreras.

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Trainer Kevin Attard sends out Henry’s Gamble, who like American Gamble, is a daughter of Gamble’s Exchange.

Henry’s Gamble has stuck to the turf since hitting the board in each of her first three starts on the Tapeta. She found 1 1/8 miles too far when sixth on July 1, and then finished a close third traveling seven-eighths.

Henry’s Gamble faded to fourth from a stalking position most recently in a 7 1/2-furlong inner-turf test around two turns. She’s cutting back to a more suitable distance Thursday and begins from post 3 under Rafael Hernandez, who was aboard for her maiden win.

Swinging Mandy is the lone stakes winner in the lineup. She took the one-mile Victorian Queen Stakes on the inner turf and was third in the South Ocean Stakes on the Tapeta last year at 2, after which she was sold to owner Gary Barber.

Trainer Mike Casse sent out Swinging Mandy to finish first in an April 30 allowance, after which she was demoted from first to ninth by disqualification. She has struggled in the interim, and perhaps the cooler fall weather will be more to her liking.

Taquanyah earned the highest last-out Beyer Speed Figure in the field, a 72, when second in a seven-furlong claimer for $25,000 for nonwinners-of-two types. She was exiting three straight double-digit losses around two turns then and has done her optimum running in Tapeta sprints.

Dixie Morning wound up fourth in the Rondeau Bay and fifth in the Georgian Bay Stakes in her last two outings for the hot Mike Doyle barn.

Rounding out the sixth-race field are First Round Pick and Silver Bullet Lady.

Post time for the eight-race card is 4:50 p.m.

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