Imagery a player on turf or Tapeta

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Regardless of the surface, stakes-placed Imagery should be a factor in Saturday’s Woodbine headliner, a conditioned allowance with a $50,000 claiming option scheduled for six furlongs on the main turf.

Imagery was a $40,000 claim here a year ago by trainer Vito Armata for Eight Star Racing Stables. She’s scored twice at the first allowance/$32,000 optional-claiming level, doing so last November without a tag on the Tapeta and on July 30 with a $30,000 tag in a five-furlong inner turf dash.

In her penultimate outing, Imagery finished second after hitting the front a little soon in a five-furlong sprint at this level that was taken off the turf. She ran the race of her life most recently when a wide-closing third behind favored Hazelbrook and Beyond Mybudget in the Grade 3 Ontario Fashion on the Tapeta.

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Daisuke Fukumoto will ride the stretch-runner Imagery, who has some speed to chase in the fifth race.

The wild cards in the feature are the two Mark Casse-trained comebackers, Summertime Magic and Miss Speedy. Neither have tried the grass.

Unbeaten 3-year-old Summertime Magic notched her five-furlong debut in April before doubling up May 21 in the seven-furlong Ruling Angel Stakes, for which she got an 83 Beyer Speed Figure. By the 12 percent grass sire Carpe Diem, her dam won on turf but none of her four turf runners were victorious.

Miss Speedy has been sidelined since a seventh-place finish in the Grade 2 Raven Run last October at Keeneland. The big 4-year-old wired a quality field in the seven-furlong Duchess Stakes with an 86 Beyer in September 2021. By the 10 percent turf sire Souper Speedy, her dam won 2 of 9 turf starts and she produced three winners from five turf starters, including restricted stakes winner Where’s Neal.

Both Summertime Magic and Miss Speedy have been working fast on the Tapeta. Miss Speedy could lead the way under Justin Stein, with Summertime Magic in close proximity under Patrick Husbands.

Hell N Wild, the 125-pound highweight, is in for $50,000 off a determined score at this level on the Tapeta. Leading rider Kazushi Kimura retains the mount for trainer Lorne Richards.

Completing the field are Ishiyaya, Calle Ocho, Hai Bobby, and the main-track-only entrant Hard Edge.

◗ An overflowing field of 16 was drawn for Saturday’s seventh race, a first-level allowance with a $32,000 claiming option. The race has been labeled for re-use by the race office so that those who missed the cut will have a chance to compete in the immediate future.

The portable rail placed in lane 5 on the main turf allows for 12 in the body of the race, and stakes-placed Swoop to Finish has the look of a major player. Trained by Gail Cox, the Sam-Son Farm homebred is exiting a runner-up placing in the 1 1/4-mile Wonder Where Stakes for Canadian-bred 3-year-old fillies.

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