J P Hellish must control his speed in closing-day feature

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – J P Hellish has been razor-sharp, sometimes too sharp, since returning from a layoff in the summer. He should be favored in the featured conditioned allowance route with a $50,000 to $47,500 claiming option on Sunday’s closing-day card at Woodbine.

J P Hellish was turned over to trainer Marty Drexler after his form tailed off last spring at Gulfstream Park. The durable 7-year-old resurfaced in a $25,000 claimer here Aug. 11 and promptly wired the field in an 11-length tally with a career-high 95 Beyer Speed Figure.

Predictably, J P Hellish regressed to an 83 Beyer five weeks later when a front-running second in an allowance with a $32,000 claiming option. He cleared the first allowance condition after a stalking trip on Oct. 29, scoring comfortably over a modest field with an 89 Beyer.

J P Hellish was keyed up behind the early leaders most recently in a conditioned allowance/$50,000 optional claimer. He never fully relaxed for Sahin Civaci and then tried to split rivals early in the stretch before ending up third in an even effort. Cruden Bay rode a golden rail while closing from midpack to prevail and went on to finish a chalky fourth in the restricted Steady Growth Stakes.

Civaci is serving a suspension and leading rider Kazushi Kimura inherits the mount on J P Hellish, who might sit off the other speed again in a quest for his 10th career win.

Lac Macaza should be a factor after breaking from the rail under Emma-Jayne Wilson, who was aboard for his back-to-back wins against allowance types and $25,000 claimers in September and October.

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Trainer Julia Carey tried Lac Macaza around two turns on the inner turf two back when the 4-year-old finished fifth in the Overskate Stakes for Ontario-sired stock. He had little chance while racing wide against the bias when seventh behind Cruden Bay and J P Hellish on Nov. 19.

Named after a picturesque lake in the province of Quebec, Lac Macaza competes with a $47,500 tag on Sunday.

Simcoe, who was on the King’s Plate trail after wintering at Gulfstream, could wake up in his return from a layoff. He notched the first allowance condition here in June before ending up fifth in the Grade 3 Marine and a well-beaten 11th in the Plate Trial Stakes.

Simcoe couldn’t keep up in his first turf start in the Oct. 1 Breeders’ Stakes, the 1 1/2-mile anchor leg of the Canadian Triple Crown. The son of Uncle Mo has been working right along for good layoff trainer Katerina Vassilieva, who has given the call to her go-to rider, Rafael Hernandez.

The speedy Steak and Cheese has a victory and two seconds in his last three outings against easier opposition. The struggling sprinter Reload’s Rebel also is quick off the mark and might be faster than the others during the initial half-mile.

Completing the ninth-race field are Clear Destination, Mighty Sea, and Rosebud’s Hope.

Post time for the 10-race card is 1:05 p.m.

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