ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Rockcrest, the current leader of Woodbine’s older sprint division, will try for an elusive Vice Regent Stakes score on Saturday in a tough edition of the five-furlong inner turf dash for Ontario-breds. After wintering in Florida, Rockcrest beat reigning Canadian champion male sprinter Filo Di Arianna while exiting a layoff in a conditioned allowance here April 29. The speedy 6-year-old got away with a soft opening quarter most recently in the six-furlong Pink Lloyd Stakes, and never looked back in a two-length tally with a career-high 97 Beyer Speed Figure. Owner/trainer Nigel Burke said Rockcrest, a short-distance specialist, has matured with age. “He’s learned how to relax more as he’s gotten older,” Burke explained. “Before, he just wanted to go as fast as he could for as long as he could. He loves the five-furlong distance. I think he’s equally as good on the grass as he is on the [Tapeta]. “When we stretched him out in the Pink Lloyd, we were lucky that he got the lead by himself and relaxed. That’s the most important thing – that he relaxes, so that when the cavalry comes, he has something left.” Rockcrest was overtaken late by Not So Quiet when second in the 2021 Vice Regent. He was demoted from third to seventh by disqualification in last year’s renewal under regular rider Keveh Nicholls. “What happened last year may have been a young trainer’s mistake,” Burke said. “Maybe I had him a little too sharp and he bunny-hopped and missed the break. We were paying a lot of respect to Silent Poet. We wanted to be in front of him. “After missing the break, Keveh rushed him up and then things got tight coming into the turn. I think we used him up to catch up, and he didn’t have anything down the lane.” The $150,000 Vice Regent lured eight others, including Saratoga shipper Outlaw Kid and front-runners Aim for the Sky and Silent Reserve. :: Bet the races with a $250 First Deposit Match + $10 Free Bet and FREE Formulator PPs! Join DRF Bets. Trained by George Weaver, Outlaw Kid earned a 100 Beyer clearing the second allowance condition in his June 15 season opener at Belmont Park. He subsequently ran sixth here in the Grade 2 Highlander, and is competing on short rest off a wide fourth in an allowance at Saratoga. Aim for the Sky, a $25,000 claim in October by trainer Steve Chircop, shed his win-shy reputation by taking two of his three most recent races, including the first leg of the Woodbine Turf Sprint Series on July 6. “I really liked him last time out,” Chircop said. “He was getting no respect from the handicappers and went off at 5-1. I kind of questioned myself a little bit. But I’m glad he proved them wrong and proved me right.” Silent Reserve, the lone 3-year-old in the lineup, was supplemented off a victory over first-level allowance rivals going five-eighths on the inner course. He was previously second to the unstoppable Patches O’Houlihan in the Lake Huron Stakes for Ontario-sired sophomores. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.