Moran, Attard look tough again with Arami's Speightster
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ETOBICOKE, Ontario – The meet’s leading jockey-trainer combo of apprentice Pietro Moran and Kevin Attard will send out Arami’s Speightster in Friday’s fifth race at Woodbine.
The sneaky good duo of journeyman Rafael Hernandez and Dale Desruisseaux also will be in action then with Lasting Silence. Both 3-year-olds are dropping from Ontario-sired/$40,000 maiden company to $25,000 in the seven-furlong Tapeta sprint, and they look like the protagonists in the seven-horse field.
Arami’s Speightster wasn’t an impact player in three maiden special weight outings last year against the likes of Attack, Groot, and Most Likely. When dropping to $40,000 in his May 11 season opener, the son of Speightster set a moderate pace before fading to sixth behind next-out maiden winner Deputy Daddy. The winner, Maldini, was subsequently disqualified from first to second next out in allowance company.
Moran, who leads the Woodbine standings, was 11 for 28 at the meet for Attard heading into this week. They have produced a positive return on investment of $3.04.
Lasting Silence raced on the lead before fading to second in his second career start in August. After a subpar showing in September, the son of Silent Name posted back-to-back fourths in two more Ontario-sired/$40,000 events in the fall, including in a two-turn experiment.
Hernandez and Desruisseaux, who combined to take the May 18 King Corrie Stakes with Church and State, have scored at a 24 percent clip since the beginning of last year, with an ROI of $3.17.
True Shot is the lone 4-year-old in the lineup. He hasn’t been an impact player since last spring but managed to salvage third after getting away slowly over a track that favored speed and inside runners when protected by waiver against $15,000 maidens in his season opener and debut for trainer Keith Edwards.
Temple Hall figures to be loose on the lead, going a distance over which he’s questionable, with Pietro’s father, David, aboard. He went off Lasix in his five-furlong comeback and was pressed through honest fractions before fading to third.
Souper Vinnie ran on a live rail at the back of the pack over a speed-friendly track when fifth on debut May 17. His owner-trainer, Paul Buttigieg, died last week and his longtime assistant, Rick Hayashi, has taken over the training duties. The barn has been much better second time out than at first asking in recent years.
Shinigami finished third and seventh in two one-mile maiden special weight races over Turfway’s Tapeta during the winter. He checked in just behind Arami’s Speightster in seventh after a wide trip when cutting back to seven furlongs May 11. Rico Walcott replaces Hernandez on the gelding, who was claimed for $25,000 in November.
Rounding out the field is Ringintheholiday, who was beaten a combined total of 41 lengths in his two starts against tougher.
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