Mountaineer: Our Edge dips to lowest class level of his career in Monday optional claimer

As a 3-year-old, Our Edge was talented enough to win a Grade 3 stakes by seven lengths, he led the Grade 1 Travers after a half-mile, and was in front through the first six furlongs of the Grade 2 Pennsylvania Derby. Those performances all came four years ago, however, and at age 7, Our Edge is just 1 for 12 over the past two seasons.

Trainer Joe Woodard nevertheless was willing to claim Our Edge on behalf of Billy, Donna, and Justin Hays for $16,000 during the spring meet at Churchill Downs. Four months later, Our Edge ships to Mountaineer for one of five allowance races on Monday night’s 10-race card.

Our Edge will be running for the optional $15,000 tag – the lowest of his 33-race career – in a six-furlong sprint that also is open to first-level allowance runners.

Our Edge’s first start for his new connections, a fourth-place finish against $20,000 claimers last month at Ellis Park, produced a 70 Beyer Speed Figure that is almost equal to the Beyer par of 71 for Monday night’s level of competition at Mountaineer. Our Edge also missed by a head while running for a $16,000 tag at Oaklawn Park in April.

Woodard’s five-year record with horses making their second start off the claim and second start following a layoff (10 for 41, 24 percent) is nearly identical to his record shipping from Kentucky to Mountaineer this season (10 for 44, 23 percent). Looking at only claiming races between $10,000 and $40,000, Woodard is 3 for 7 (43 percent), with a $2.49 return on investment.

The most dangerous of the seven rivals Our Edge faces might be the 3-year-old Kenny’s Lake. That horse will be making his second start off a claim by trainer Tim Glyshaw and his first start since mid-July. From a small sampling, Glyshaw is 3 for 6 (50 percent), with a $3.26 ROI, with horses making their second start off the claim following a break of 31 to 60 days.

◗ The richest of the allowances on the card comes in the opener, a seven-furlong turf race worth $28,400 for nonwinners of four races. Woodard will send out Southpaw Slammer, who romped for a $50,000 claiming tag while going 6 1/2 furlongs on Keeneland’s Polytrack in the spring and won an allowance sprinting on the Tapeta surface at Presque Isle Downs in July.