Gierkink's preview: Sunday turf racing in jeopardy

The last two scheduled turf events at the meet are Sunday, but the races were taken off the soggy course Saturday, which could be the case again.

In the third, a surface change would hinder Interpol, Bangkok, and Crushin Hard in the 10-furlong allowance. Niigon Express seems made to order for extended distances on the Polytrack, over which he won his last start at 1 1/16 miles in a combo race for Ontario-sired allowance types and $40,000 non-winners of three claimers. Bay King can handle either surface and also could run big in the third race of his form cycle.

The sixth, a $40,000 conditioned claimer going a mile, includes main track only entrant Melmich, who is debuting off a $20,000 claim by trainer Kevin Attard.

DRF FORMULATOR FACT: Attard, who’s had a very productive meet, has a 23 percent rate first time off the claim over the past two years with a return on investment of $1.71.

Princess Elizabeth Stakes

London Tower (5-2) will test her mettle around two turns off a sharp first-out score in the $250,000 Princess Elizabeth, the country’s richest stakes for Canadian-bred 2-year-old fillies. She romped home on top by nearly eight lengths Oct. 4 in a seven-furlong maiden special for Ontario-sired stock, which has yielded just one next-out winner so far.

London Tower figures to be the controlling speed under Gary Boulanger and should take some catching if the Polytrack is kind to speed as it was Saturday.

DRF FORMULATOR FACT: London Tower’s trainer, Steve Owens, has won at a 15 percent clip with sprint/route runners going back five years, with a return on investment of $1.44. If you filter those stretch-outs down to 2-year-olds, he’s 2 for 6 ($3.88 ROI) during that time.

Shez a Masterpiece (3-1) put up a 72 Beyer in each of her two local outings, which compares favorably with the 75 earned by London Tower. She was claimed for $80,000 at Del Mar by owner Gary Barber and trainer Mark Casse, who sent her out to break her maiden over a mile and 70 yards here Oct. 12.

Brooklynsway (7-2) graduated third time out in the restricted Muskoka Stakes on Aug. 27. She made a smooth transition to routing Oct. 5, when she rallied four wide for second in the Grade 3 Mazarine behind Conquest Harlanate, who never challenged in Friday’s Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf. Her trainer, John Ross, saddled Lexie Lou in a runner-up placing in last year’s Princess Elizabeth.

Obeah Woman (20-1) and Leading Edge (8-1) are coming off a slow maiden win around two turns. There appears to be plenty of upside for each of them, especially Leading Edge, a beautifully bred daughter of leading sire Tapit.

Horse to watch

GEORGE MCFLY
Trainer: Dave Cotey
Last race: Nov. 1, 10th
Finish: 3rd by 3

He was in tight along the rail while being shuffled back to ninth heading into the first turn before mounting an eye-catching wide rally in a 1 1/16-mile maiden special for 2-year-olds.