Honey Green may get right trip
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Handicappers will be in a quandary trying to determine which front-runner is best in Thursday's speed-laden feature, a second-level allowance worth $65,600.
Honey Green could be a stalking winner in the six-furlong sprint, even though she won her last race, a seven-furlong race for $80,000 claimers, on the lead. She displayed the ability to sit off the early pace when she captured a 1 1/16-mile turf race Sept. 11.
Both of Honey Green's main-track scores came in front-running style, but her outside draw in this small field should be ideal for a pace-tracking trip. David Clark retains the mount on Honey Green for trainer John Cardella.
Also entered in Thursday's second race are Unpredictable K D, Expected Song, Big Cheque, and Dressed for Action.
British Columbia import Unpredictable K D was fast enough to win a 3 1/2-furlong
maiden special as a 2-year-old at Hastings.
Now 4, she was unsuccessful at this allowance level here in the spring, and then found two furlongs too short for her at Fort Erie. But she has blossomed since trainer Eric Garcea removed her blinkers Sept. 26.
Unpredictable K D bucked a closers' bias when she won a $25,000 claimer Sept. 26. After struggling home fourth going a route, she finished second for a $35,000 tag and was third against $50,000 opposition over a speed-favoring track.
Expected Song ran several strong races early in the meeting. Trained by Ross Armata Jr., she led all the way to win her maiden in a romp May 7, and won a preliminary allowance after sitting just off a sizzling pace June 18. She has taken three cracks at this condition, finishing second twice on the dirt and sixth in her lone grass experience.
Steven Bahen will ride Expected Song for Molinaro Stable, the same combination that captured the 2002 Queen's Plate with T. J.'s Lucky Moon.
Big Cheque has won 3 of 5 this year. Trained by Abraham Katryan, she wired $50,000 claimers two starts back and got a Beyer Figure of 90 when she rode a speed bias to a five-length win over $80,000 opposition Oct. 13.
Dressed for Action fared decently on the main track early in the meeting, before finding her niche as a turf sprinter. She was second against males over soft ground in the June 4 Bold Ruckus Stakes and took the June 29 Ontario Damsel Stakes over firm footing.