Hot Kiss seeks third straight win
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – A sharp Hot Kiss will try to overcome a wide draw while aiming for her third straight win Friday at Woodbine in a first-level allowance for fillies and mares.
Hot Kiss, a late bloomer trained by Mike De Paulo, graduated over the 1 1/8-mile distance of Friday’s feature in July. Following a failed turf experiment in August, she wound up a close third in an allowance Sept. 13.
Hot Kiss came wide from seventh to win a slow-paced Ontario-sired allowance for non-winners of two Oct. 18. Three weeks later, she took her game to another level by beating non-winners-of-three Ontario-sired allowance types by 6 1/2 lengths with a Beyer Speed Figure of 80.
Leading rider Eurico Da Silva retains the mount on Hot Kiss, who begins from the outside post in a 12-horse field.
An excellent 10-race card has been assembled for the final Friday of the meet, including four non-claiming events.
KEY CONTENDERS
Hot Kiss (Last 3 Beyers: 80-76-73)
◗ Interim works are always a positive sign at this stage of the meet, and this 3-year-old breezed a half-mile last Sunday in 49.40 seconds on the training track, which is beside De Paulo’s powerful barn.
Dea (Last 3 Beyers: 71-76-53)
◗ The newcomer has competed at three different venues in as many starts dating back to last fall, when she finished up the track in her career debut on Del Mar’s since-removed Polytrack. Her return from a long layoff on grass Nov. 1 at Belmont wasn’t bad and should set her up adequately for this engagement. Patrick Husbands rides the daughter of Midshipman for top trainer Mark Casse, who has solid numbers pertaining to this situation.
Bilky Bluz (Last 3 Beyers: 73-71-70)
◗ This 4-year-old has been knocking on the door against non-winners-of-three Ontario-sired stock. She has worked a bullet half-mile in 47.60 seconds leading up to this for second-leading trainer Kevin Attard.
Ky Causeway (Last 3 Beyers: 72-66-67)
◗ Bilky Bluz’s year-younger half-sister rode an inside-speed bias to victory last time in a non-winners-of-two Ontario-sired allowance. Luis Contreras, who inherits the mount from Da Silva, is 9 for 47 at the meet when riding for Attard.
Clementis (Last 3 Beyers: 74-54-61)
◗ The durable 8-year-old parlayed an ideal inside stalking trip into a daylight score against $20,000 claimers last Sunday, giving apprentice Aimee Auger her first win.