Middle legs provide challenge in pick four
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ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Thursday’s lone pick four at Woodbine could begin and end with a victorious favorite, while the middle legs seem wide open.
In race 4, Kid Marvelous is plunging in value to meet $25,000 maidens after running competitively against maiden special weight company. Trainer Robert Tiller claimed him off a second for $40,000 in his April 29 debut from trainer Wesley Ward before sending him out to finish second in back-to-back maiden specials on different surfaces.
Kid Marvelous landed on the fringes in his next three outings before a rallying second in a five-furlong inner turf dash Sept. 8. The 4-year-old is coming off a flat sixth-place finish on the Tapeta.
Sure, it’s a fishy drop, but the red-hot apprentice Sofia Vives should be able to get Kid Marvelous home on top in the six-furlong Tapeta event.
Featherweight, Working Holiday, and Golden Spring look best among those who have raced in the fifth, a six-furlong test for maiden $25,000 2-year-old fillies.
Featherweight awaited room on the turn before securing third in her improved last outing on Sept. 14, as Working Holiday vied for the lead before fading to fifth when both were dropping to $25,000 at second asking.
After flashing cheap speed in her first two starts, Golden Spring is taking that all-important drop from Ontario-sired/$40,000 company and has landed in a spot where she could wire the field.
Finger Lakes shipper Good Bye New York is a wild card in her first synthetic-track excursion for trainer Phil Hall, who has good stats with new shooters going back five years.
The sixth race, a five-furlong inner turf dash for $7,500 starter types and $15,000 claimers, is another spread race.
American Gamble, trained by Mike DePaulo, lost her most recent inner course engagement by a nose on June 2. She beat $15,000 conditioned opposition in her penultimate start and is coming off a wide fourth in a fast Tapeta sprint at this level, from which runner-up Hatmaker Holiday exited to score.
Mi Tormenta also possesses positive inner turf form. She has stuck to the main track this year and won a lesser starter/optional claimer last time out on Aug. 24 for trainer Ross Armata.
Summer Snow and Silent Guroo are need-the-lead types. Both are worth using in case one outsprints the other for the early lead and keeps on going.
Six-time winner Fedalia is drawn outside while making her first start off a layoff and a $15,000 claim by trainer Mike Dunslow. She could fall into an outside-stalking trip before making a bid under apprentice Amanda Vandermeersch.
Halfinthewrapper is the clear speed in the seventh, a $25,000 sprint traveling six furlongs. With blinkers on going 5 1/2 furlongs on Sept. 7, she was pressed through honest fractions before weakening to second behind a peaking Ima Beast. Luis Contreras will ride her again for Hall.
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