Lion Kingdom needs to work out trip on favorite course
?q=100)
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Woodbine’s inner turf horse-for-course angle comes into play in Friday’s nightcap on an eight-race card, a 1 1/16-mile event combining starters for a claiming price of $7,500 or less in 2022-23 with $15,000 claimers.
Lion Kingdom is the most obvious horse-for-course in the 10-horse field. The 7-year-old gelding narrowly won back-to-back two-turn inner-turf tilts in June, both under Omar Moreno. His overall form on the inner layout is better if you ignore his starts in marathons that were part of the 2022 Woodbine Turf Endurance Series.
The rail position in the outermost lane 4 on Friday is less than ideal for a stretch-runner like Lion Kingdom, and it will be interesting to see if Moreno can work out a trip in a field without much speed.
Richard Morden trains Lion Kingdom, who will compete for $15,000 for C S Dowson Farms.
Rocket Joe Copper is protected under the starter condition and was recently reunited with a previous trainer, Marty Drexler, who has enlisted his go-to rider Sahin Civaci. The 10-year-old came from a stalking position to finish second to Lion Kingdom while claimed for $10,000 on June 15. He won with a $32,000 tag against first-level allowance types on the inner turf in September before Drexler lost him for that price in October.
In his last two outings, both over off dirt tracks at Fort Erie, Rocket Joe Copper finished third and fifth while beaten 9 1/4 lengths each time in races that were scheduled for the grass.
Steak and Cheese has an inner-turf tally, which came against nonwinners-of-three Ontario-sired allowance stock and $40,000 claimers last summer. He wound up third and fourth in his two most recent outings, both after racing wide against $25,000 opposition on the inner course.
Kazushi Kimura has the mount on Steak and Cheese, and the meet’s leading rider had placed on 6 of 9 mounts at the meet for the 5-year-old’s trainer, Bill Tharrenos.
Solar displayed hanging tendencies while finishing second in three of his last four races, including a neck loss to Lion Kingdom on June 29. One of his better performances was a wide third on the inner course in October, when he earned an 82 Beyer Speed Figure.
Dixie Giant could set the pace in his initial inner-turf excursion. Winless in five starts on the main course, the son of Giant Gizmo set moderate fractions before weakening to fourth behind Sunrise Drive and Solar in a 1 1/16-mile starter/optional claimer on the Tapeta on July 21.
Sunrise Drive dusted $25,000 maidens by six lengths on the inner turf in June of last year, but his turf form since then leaves a lot to be desired. The 5-year-old has never won back-to-back races.
Rounding out the eighth-race field are Sailor’s Passion, C C’s Kingdom, Native Prince, and Desolator.
:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.