Miss Grindstone goes long

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Miss Grindstone will attempt to stretch her speed out around two turns on Thursday at Woodbine, in a $62,500 claimer for fillies and mares.

Miss Grindstone, a 4-year-old, is one of the rare horses who has won as many races as she has lost. Owner-trainer John Cardella claimed her from her final 2-year-old outing for $32,000, and his patience paid off last year, when she won 3 of 7 starts while earning $139,034. She earned a career-high Beyer Speed Figure of 84 in winning a $62,500 race on Sept. 18, and was put away for the year after running second in another sprint at that level Oct. 25.

Miss Grindstone has made only two starts this year. She won a key-race $62,500 claimer with ease May 23, and then finished second to a sharp Regal 'n Bold in a second-level allowance six weeks ago. Her career record is 6 wins in 12 starts, with earnings of $234,778.

Miss Grindstone - by Grindstone and out of a Seattle Song mare - has sufficient stamina in her pedigree for the task at hand. She set slow fractions on an uncontested lead when winning a one-mile turf race around this time in 2002. But it appears she will have some speed to fend off in Thursday's race. Ray Sabourin has the mount.

Lining up against Miss Grindstone in the 1 1/16-mile race will be Fleur De Sel, Dawn Edition, Sinhouse, Lady Christine, and Rich Mist.

Rich Mist could be the chief beneficiary of a suicidal speed duel. She was a fast-closing second to Sinhouse when dropped to $40,000 July 9.

A slow pace and a trip along a dead rail hindered her chances most recently, when she was fourth in an $80,000 optional claimer won by One Only Knows.

Sinhouse made all the running when she won the July 9 race on a speed-favoring track. She began her campaign on a low note with a bleeding incident, but she looks to be in fine fettle after that win and a five-furlong work in 1:01 July 20.

Dawn Edition ran some strong races in classified allowance company during the spring, but has slumped in her last few. She helped to set a slow pace while running on dead rail last time against $80,000 opposition, and may be more effective here with a stalking trip.

Lady Christine is jumping up off a victory over $40,000 nonwinners of three types, while Fleur De Sel is running off the $40,000 claim by trainer Sid Attard.