Line of Best Fit to show speed in Friday feature
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Line of Best Fit’s tactical speed is one of her most effective weapons, and she could dominate the front-end proceedings in Friday’s Woodbine headliner, a second-level optional claimer for fillies and mares.
Line of Best Fit has a win and four seconds from five starts this year for owner and breeder Frank DiGiulio Jr. She began her season with three straight runner-up placings, two of which were at this optional-claiming level.
Line of Best Fit toyed with her opposition in a six-furlong Ontario-sired allowance on the dirt at Fort Erie on July 21, winning by 4 3/4 lengths with an 83 Beyer Speed Figure. She registered a career-high 85 Beyer most recently when second here in a seven-furlong optional claimer won by Ida Bambina.
The feature is the eighth on a better-than-average nine-race Friday program that has three grass events.
KEY CONTENDERS
Line of Best Fit (Last 3 Beyers: 85-83-80)
◗ The 6 1/2-furlong distance of this race is suitable for the 5-year-old, who has fared okay after breaking from post 1 in the past. Emma-Jayne Wilson rides her again for trainer Bob Tiller, who entered her with a $60,000 claiming price.
Dancing Ashley (Last 3 Beyers: 81-77-62)
◗ It took her a few tries to come around this year, and she woke up Aug. 14 in a $50,000 claimer on the grass that she won comfortably after mounting a four-wide rally.
◗ The six-time winner is equally adept on either local surface when she’s in the zone.
Kay’s Grace (Last 3 Beyers: 64-77-73)
◗ The lanky gray has yet to duplicate her good season opener, which was a close second in the six-furlong Ballade Stakes. Sprinting on the Polytrack is her forte, and her last uninspiring effort on turf in another Ontario-sired stakes, the Victoriana, is a throw-out.
Zubi Zubi Zu (Last 3 Beyers: 81-78-75)
◗ The Arlington-based 4-year-old ran evenly for third behind Ida Bambina and Line of Best Fit when she returned to the local scene Aug. 9. She was previously victorious in an optional claimer on the grass at Canterbury Park for trainer Mike Stidham, who has four seconds but no wins from 10 starts at this meet.
Black Bird Rock (Last 3 Beyers: 79-73-77)
◗ The hard-knocking mare is making her second start off the $62,500 reclaim by Bear Stables and trainer Mike De Paulo. She’s eligible to improve in her second outing after a summer break under Patrick Husbands, who was aboard for the majority of her seven victories.