Hazelbrook looks to deliver on potential in return
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – A host of allowance and maiden special weight races will spice up the stakes-less Saturday card at Woodbine. The promising 3-year-old Hazelbrook returns from a break for her second appearance of the meet in the seventh race, a 6 1/2-furlong first-level allowance for fillies and mares.
Hazelbrook checked in third behind Drunk Dial in a fast maiden special when debuting Nov. 7. After getting the winter off, she won a June 19 maiden special easily with a 76 Beyer Speed Figure, a six-furlong sprint that contained two next-out winners.
Trained by Lorne Richards, Hazelbrook has breezed regularly since mid-August after a month-long gap in her work tab in mid-summer.
Hard Street and Imagery could link up on the lead, with Hazelbrook taking up the chase on the outside under Jason Hoyte.
Hard Street is dropping out of the Alywow Stakes on turf. She was softened up in a speed duel and faded to sixth.
Imagery wound up second in both of her outings at the meet, both allowance races, most recently after giving up a late lead.
Sandy Bay seems poised to break through in the opener, a first-level allowance for 3-year-olds and up.
Sandy Bay has reached full bloom this year for trainer Marty Drexler. He closed for second behind a sharp Celebratory in his season debut going five-eighths on the inner turf. The 6-year-old is coming off a lapped-on third going three-quarters on the Tapeta in another allowance, for which he got a career high 90 Beyer.
Sandy Bay drew ideally on the outside under Kazushi Kimura, who should have him in a good position eyeing the Robert Tiller-trained front-runners Aim for the Sky and Checkerboard Floor.
Aim for the Sky put away the other speed before giving way grudgingly to the favored Lenny K while holding off Sandy Bay for second in his latest. He was a close second after setting the pace in another allowance July 18.
Checkerboard Floor won 3 of 5 starts last year and was second in his comeback this meet before two straight flat performances.
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Speedy Bolt is moving up off a victory over nonwinners-of-three Ontario-sired opposition. He helped to set a slow pace over a speed-favoring track.
After ending up third in her debut at Colonial, the well-bred Maryland shipper Gina makes her second start in the ninth race, a mile and 70-yard maiden special for 2-year-old fillies. A Godolphin homebred by Maclean’s Music, Gina is out of five-time Grade 1 winner Music Note, the dam of Group 1 Dubai World Cup victor Mystic Guide, an earner of more than $7.5 million.
Gary Boulanger will ride Gina for trainer Mike Stidham, who has won with two of his four starters at this meet.