Gierkink's preview: The Kay's Grace conundrum

Friday, May 30 preview

Does Kay’s Grace belong with these?

The $74,500 feature, a 6 1/2-furlong allowance with no conditions, contains six horses who competed in the May 3 Ballade Stakes, an Ontario-sired sprint.

Silent Treat benefited from an inside bias while leading all the way and notching her first stakes victory in the six-furlong Ballade. Rootham Triple E’s came three wide for second, while Dance to the Moon took the long way around from post 12 to end up fourth. Bear’s Gem, the 2013 Ballade winner, was a non-threatening 11th after starting slowly and racing wide, a race that you can draw a line through. Cafe Au Lait and Hurricane Lorraine were also unplaced in the Ballade.

Kay’s Grace is an interesting new shooter to this group. She returned from a seven-month break May 4 to win an Ontario-sired allowance going away after racing at least six wide throughout. Is she poised to bounce, or is she on the brink of recapturing her solid 2012 form?

Speed at a premium in the 8th

The eighth is a quality $50,000 claimer going five-eighths with lots of speed signed on. Perhaps the best way to handicap it is to concentrate on the horses who have displayed effective tactical speed.

The list includes Buongiorno Johnny, who’s coming off back-to-back seconds behind a pair of tough rivals, and Bigstormbrewin’, who has worked strongly for his first start since a front-running win over Run to the Bank in a $40,000 starter allowance in December.