Gierkink's preview: Ward trainee not short on speed

Trainer Wesley Ward routinely brought racing-fit runners here for opening weekend of the meet in the past, usually with some success. However, his mid-season visits have been few and far between in recent years, and rather unproductive.

Vinolicious (2-1) will attempt to end the drought in the opener, a $25,000 maiden claimer for 2-year-olds. The Ontario-bred filly is meeting males off back-to-back double-digit losses in maiden special company at Saratoga. She appears to possess sufficient speed to clear the field early, and might never look back in the six-furlong sprint. David Moran will ride Vinolicious, a daughter of Zensational who is a half-sister to Mangusta, an impressive 2-year-old winner here last fall.

DRF FORMULATOR FACT: Ward is 3 for 16 (19 percent) with maiden 2-year-olds at Woodbine over the last five years, with a skimpy return on investment of 81 cents.

Live turnbacks aplenty

Several runners shortening up from a route to a sprint figure to make some noise on this nine-race card.

Gianna Drama (7-2) is among the classier entrants in the second, a $10,000 claimer going three-quarters. He faded to seventh among two next-out winners after racing three wide in a $12,500 route Aug. 29, and has landed in a spot where he can register his first win of the year. The closer has lots of speed to chase under red-hot leading rider Patrick Husbands.

This Is the Way (3-1) and Honourable Moment (5-2) are the protagonists in the third, a weak $12,500 maiden sprint over seven furlongs. Each finished well back in seventh in their most recent race, and This Is the Way is preferred following a short layoff, since she can fire while fresh.

In the fifth, Solina Bambolina (4-1) set a rapid pace before tiring late to end up third when she went long for the first time Sept. 7. She could be the dominant speed in this $8,000 conditioned claimer traveling 6 1/2 furlongs.

DRF FORMULATOR FACT: Solina Bambolina’s trainer, Sam DiPasquale, has a 14 percent strike rate with route to sprint runners during the past five years, with a return on investment of $1.32.

If And I Did (8-1) isn't over the top, she should run big in her return to her preferred surface in the eighth, a seven-furlong Ontario-sired allowance on the grass. She’s coming off a flat fifth in a 1 1/16-mile allowance on the Polytrack.

Horses to watch

LIA’S MIRACLE

Trainer: Nick Gonzalez
Last race: Sept. 24, 3rd
Finish: 6th by 4 1/2
Beyer: 36

She gave the rest of the field about a three-length headstart, and didn’t appear comfortable between rivals on the turn before trying to mount a rail rally. She dropped to a new low in the $8,000 non-winners-of-two tilt, and should fare better next time in her second start for Gonzalez.