Gierkink's preview: Up With the Birds on home turf

Up With the Birds on home turf

The Grade 2 Nijinsky looks to have the best field of grass runners assembled so far at the meet, including reigning Canadian Horse of the Year Up With the Birds (2-1 on the morning line).

Up With the Birds wound up sixth in both of his outings in the spring, and might not be as good as he once was. However, being back on his home turf could lead to a turnaround, and trainer Malcolm Pierce has pointed him toward this event since the 4-year-old struggled over giving ground May 17 in the Grade 2 Dixie at Pimlico.

The nine-furlong route could set up for him if Five Iron and Really Sharp link up on the lead through quick fractions.

Five Iron (3-1) is dropping off a pretty good performance in the Grade 1 Manhattan, in which he went too fast on the lead before tiring late to finish three lengths back in fifth. Really Sharp (8-1) has been idle since running second in the Grade 2 Eclipse on the Polytrack on June 1, because trainer Ian Black didn’t want to run him against stablemate Excaper, who also prefers racing up front. Really Sharp might be as good on turf as he is on the Poly, but it’s hard to imagine him surviving a pace war with Five Iron, who won the Grade 3 Fort Marcy at Belmont in his penultimate start.

Trainer Brian Lynch sends out Five Iron and Dorsett, who have both been working nicely. Dorsett (15-1) could be along to pick up some of the pieces in his first appearance in eight months.

Za Approval, based in New York with trainer Christophe Clement, hasn’t shown much this year, but was a clear second behind Horse of the Year Wise Dan in his only try over this course in last year’s Grade 1 Woodbine Mile. His 5-2 morning price is unappealing, but Joe Bravo rides him on Sunday, and Bravo won the Grade 3 Red Bank when he rode him last in May of 2013 at Monmouth.

Dynamic Sky (10-1) was supplemented for $4,000 by trainer Mark Casse off a prominent third going 1 1/2 miles in the Grade 3 Singspiel Stakes.

On Rainbow Bridge eyes Damsel

Trainer Dave Cotey has been shopping around for the right spot for On Rainbow Bridge, whom he scratched as the 128-pound highweight in last weekend’s Passing Mood Stakes. He entered her in Saturday's Ontario Damsel, a one-mile turf route for Ontario-breds, and in Sunday’s seven-furlong Duchess, an open stakes on the Poly.

Llanarmon (8-5) is the one to beat in the Ontario Damsel off a third behind subsequent Queen’s Plate winner Lexie Lou in the Woodbine Oaks. Fifth-place finisher Unspurned exited the Oaks to take the Bison City Stakes. Llanarmon broke her maiden in the Grade 2 Natalma on the grass here at 2.

Regal Conqueror (12-1) is a live longshot in her first start on turf, over which she worked a quick a five-eighths on the training course. She is from the first crop of turf champion Sky Conqueror, and her dam won the Grade 2 Canadian twice over this layout.

Amethea (6-1) figures to set an honest pace off a front-running maiden win going six furlongs. The erratic Skylander Girl (4-1) was recently second against older opposition in the six-furlong allowance prep for the Royal North Stakes. Both are questionable going a mile.

Chief Thundercloud class play

The seventh race is part of both pick fours, and Chief Thundercloud stands out on class in the seven-furlong starter allowance, which is for horses who ran for a claiming price of no more than $12,500 in 2013-14.

Chief Thundercloud has had a little breather since his subpar showing in a seven-furlong optional claimer on the grass May 28. His spring form on the Poytrack was excellent, and it included a half-length loss to champion Pender Harbour in a seven-furlong allowance.

Horse to Watch

CLAPHAM HEIGHTS
Trainer: Nick Gonzalez
Last race: July 18, 3rd
Finish: 1st by 4
Beyer:
He toyed with $50,000 maidens, scoring comfortably under a hand ride in 1:22.12 over firm turf in the seven-furlong sprint. It was the 4-year-old’s first outing in about a year, and it shouldn’t take him too long to clear the first allowance condition under the tutelage of Gonzalez, Woodbine’s hottest trainer.