Gate workers stand out in field of firsters
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Hot Dance and A Little Frisky both worked nicely from the gate last Sunday and are among a field of seven first-time starters in Friday’s sixth race at Woodbine, a 6 1/2-furlong maiden-special for 2-year-old fillies with a base purse of $72,000.
Hot Dance, a Stronach Stables runner trained by Kevin Attard, was a $110,000 buyback at the 2021 Keeneland November sale. She’s by 10 percent 2-year-old debut sire Ghostzapper, the sire of Queen’s Plate winners Moira, Holy Helena, and Shaman Ghost. Hot Dance is the second foal from stakes-winning juvenile Conquest Vivi, a speedy runner who notched her debut.
On Sunday, Hot Dance dusted company during a sharp half-mile drill in 48 seconds, which was tied for the 17th fastest of 110 works at the distance. She goes with blinkers and jockey Jose Campos.
A Little Frisky is by the hot second-year sire Army Mule, who’s gotten 20 percent debut winners and is the sire of one of Woodbine’s leading 3-year-olds, Stanley House. The $140,000 yearling purchase is the first foal from a 2-year-old winner who hails from a precocious family.
Kazushi Kimura will ride A Little Frisky for trainer Josie Carroll, who sent her out to work a tick faster than Hot Dance in 47.80 on Sunday.
Attard also entered Inundation, a daughter of Collected who’s a half-sister to stakes-placed sprinter Golden Wave. Attard has a 22 percent strike rate with first-timers, and his babies have been deadly at this meet.
Leading trainer Mark Casse entered Witwatersran and Victory Girl in the 6 1/2-furlong Tapeta sprint. They worked a half-mile together in 47.20 last Saturday, which ranked sixth among 86 workers at the distance.
Witwatersran has posted four consecutive fast works since shipping in from Casse’s Ocala training center in early August. She’s by stamina sire Connect, who has yielded 10 percent 2-year-old debut winners. Her dam won a maiden-special second time out at 2 on the grass at Churchill and produced the claiming miler Strong Embrace among her two other foals of racing age.
Victory Girl was a $200,000 yearling purchase by American Pharoah, who has gotten nearly 11 percent 2-year-old first-out winners in North America. Her young dam was a stakes-placed dirt router who never raced at 2.
Dazzling Move was based at the Fair Hill Training Center in Maryland with trainer Mike Trombetta before she breezed three-eighths in 36.80 here Aug. 19. The daughter of 20 percent 2-year-old debut sire Not This Time was a $135,000 buy at the Midlantic May 2-year-old sale, where she zipped an eighth in 10.40. Her dam won her career debut at 4 in a maiden-special on the Polytrack at Del Mar and has been a modest producer.
Rounding out the field is Inittowinit, a daughter of Flintshire who’s a half-sister to long-winded turf stakes winners Belichick and Season Ticket, along with stakes-placed debut winner Wickenheiser.
:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.