Gierkink's preview: Talented 2-year-old tries turf
Conquest Tsunami tries turf
Conquest Tsunami, the most dominant 2-year-old at Woodbine this year, will experiment on turf in the second race, the seven-furlong allowance prep for next month’s Grade 2 Summer Stakes. The 1-5 morning line favorite is by top grass sire Stormy Atlantic, and out of a turf stakes winner. You can watch the Mark Casse trainee’s last dazzling work on Polytrack (five furlongs in 1:00.60) through Conquest Stable’s Twitter account.
Passion for Action (8-1) could be the main threat off a second-out maiden score on grass in which he outlasted the talented Conquest Typhoon. Totally Drenched (8-1), another son of Stormy Atlantic who is changing surfaces, is in with a shot off his gutsy first-out tally in a five-furlong maiden special.
Terrific Ontario Colleen
The Grade 3 Ontario Colleen Stakes lured a diverse field of 10 3-year-old fillies, half of whom are shippers. Ready to Act is the 5-2 morning-line favorite in her first start for trainer Mark Casse, but one can make a case for several others, including Hot and Spicy (10-1), Speed Seeker (8-1), and Unspurned (6-1).
It seems inevitable that the need-the-lead types Executive Allure (7-2) and Daring Kathy (3-1) will link up on the lead, which makes both of them vulnerable in the one-mile turf route.
Jackpot Hi 5 carries over again
The Jackpot Hi 5 carryover is $232,736 heading into the nightcap. Southern Legend and Hes a Sly One are the main protagonists in the seven-furlong claimer for $8,000 nonwinners of three.
Southern Legend (10-1) is donning blinkers off a respectable fourth in a one-mile turf route at Fort Erie, which was his first start in about nine months.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: Southern Legend’s trainer, Josie Carroll, has a 21 percent strike rate with horses going from turf to synthetic while making their second start off a layoff over the past five years, with a return on investment of $1.08.
Hes a Sly One (4-1) has won two straight seven-furlong sprints, against maidens and nonwinners of two stock. He has worked a bullet half-mile leading up to this engagement, for high-percentage trainer Norm McKnight.
Da Silva off to Monmouth
Eurico Da Silva wasn’t named on any horses here Saturday because he’s riding Grade 2 Dance Smartly winner Overheard for trainer Malcolm Pierce in the Grade 3 Violet at Monmouth. Why Katherine, another local runner, was also entered in the nine-furlong Violet by trainer Kevin Attard.
Horse to watch
INTERNAL BOURBON
Trainer: Roger Attfield
Last race: Aug. 22, 2nd
Finish: 2nd, placed fifth, by1 34/
She was bounced around heading into the turn, and then traded bumps with a rival in the stretch in the allowance prep for the Natalma Stakes. After all that, she showed enough determination to secure second behind the favored winner, before getting her number taken down.