Grand Adventure faces elders

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Grand Adventure makes his first start since last year's Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf on Wednesday night at Woodbine in the featured second race, a second-level allowance with a $62,500 claiming option.

Grand Adventure, trained by Mark Frostad for Sam-Son Farm, is the lone 3-year-old in the 6 1/2-furlong turf sprint. He won his first two starts last year, including the Grade 3 Summer, a BC Win and You're In stakes.

Grand Adventure was bet down to 9-2 in the in October at Santa Anita, but he came up empty in the stretch after a wide stalking trip and wound up 10th.

Eurico Da Silva will ride Grand Adventure, who has been working on a regular schedule this summer, which has included several five-furlong breezes over the turf training course.

The Great Caruso figures to lead the way under 10-pound apprentice Caroline Duquet, who is seeking her first win.

The Great Caruso, runner-up to Heros Reward in the 2008 Highlander Stakes, is winless since his triumph in a five-furlong optional claimer in April of last year on the Polytrack. He chased the upwardly mobile Jungle Wave home when third in each of his two most recent races, including in the allowance prep for the Play the King Stakes.

Smokey Fire has been favored in each of his four races. He captured his first two starts on the lead and is coming off back-to-back seconds at his level on the grass. He rallied wide from off a slow pace in his latest, which was won by the unbeaten Sam-Son runner Cross Every Bridge.

Co-leading trainer Sid Attard will give Chantal Sutherland a leg up on Smokey Fire, who is a half-brother to the promising 2-year-old Ghost Fleet.

The well-traveled Atticus Kristy has placed in four consecutive stakes in New Jersey since trainer Michael Pino claimed him for $50,000 at Keeneland. The 8-year-old gelding finished second in the 2006 Highlander and was also third here in the 2005 Nearctic Stakes.

Wollemi Pine had a productive 2008 campaign, during which he won three races and ran second in the Grade 2 Play the King. He has hit the top three only once in six starts this year, which was a third-place finish in 1 1/4-mile allowance. Sprinting on the grass has been his forte in the past.

Rounding out the field are Zarroc, Swinton, and Michael's Bad Boy.