'Justice' strong off prep win

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Trainer Abraham Katryan is hoping for a fast track for Lettherebejustice in Sunday's $139,125 Valedictory Handicap, which wasn't the case in last year's edition, when Lettherebejustice spun his wheels in the mud and finished fifth.

A 1 3/4-mile race, the Valedictory is the closing-day feature of the Woodbine meeting. The 12-race card, which begins at 12:35 p.m., also includes the $125,000 Kingarvie Stakes.

Lettherebejustice won under a hand ride three starts ago Sept. 30, going 1 1/16 miles against $32,000 opposition. He never fired in a subsequent $40,000 claimer, but last out was a handy winner of the 1 1/2-mile allowance prep for the Valedictory on Nov. 19.

Katryan said he had expected a strong showing from Lettherebejustice in the prep.

"He's been lightly raced this year and was just beginning to come around," Katryan said. "We've been pointing him for this race. He's in good shape. He likes the cold weather, and I'm looking forward to another big race from him."

Katryan said he was thrilled with Lettherebejustice's three-furlong work in 35.80 seconds Dec. 2.

"I wanted to sharpen him up a little, and he worked really good," Katryan said. "He's laid back, and I wanted him to go a fast three-eighths."

Other Valedictory possibilities include Seattlespectacular, Severely, and Solihull.

Seattlespectacular recorded three straight turf victories for owner Roger Patten and trainer Sid Attard after being claimed for $40,000 in August. Seattlespectacular finished second by three-quarters of a length in the Valedictory prep after racing four wide most of the way under jockey Patrick Husbands.

Attard said he is making an equipment change Sunday and is hopeful that Seattlespectacular will stay the trip.

"He was very wide all the way around in the prep," Attard said. "I'm not blaming Patrick, because the horse wouldn't relax for him. We're taking the blinkers off for this race."

Attard said Seattlespectacular worked three-quarters last Sunday, but he wasn't concerned when Seattlespectacular failed to make time. "It was a really slow track," Attard said.

European shipper Severely, a 3-year-old filly trained by Roger Attfield, is exiting a fifth-place finish in a 1 3/4-mile handicap at Redcar. She won a two-mile handicap two starts ago but finished far back in her lone dirt start last March over the all-weather surface at Lingfield Park.