Niagara Skyline looks sharp for Turf Sprint Series finale

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Niagara Skyline is ideally suited to longer turf sprints, and the late bloomer should be prominent in Friday’s third and final leg of the Woodbine Turf Sprint Series going 6 1/2 furlongs on the main course.

Niagara Skyline has won three of his four starts at the meet, beginning with a maiden race on the Tapeta in his May 14 season debut. The 4-year-old doubled up against nonwinners-of-two company on the main turf June 5, when he was claimed for $40,000 by the partnership of Paul Braverman and Timothy Pinch.

Niagara Skyline saved ground en route to a fifth-place finish when going five-eighths on the inner turf in the opening leg of this series July 8. When moving out to three-quarters on the main course in the second leg on Aug. 5, he came from midpack to win going away by 3 1/2 lengths with a big 88 Beyer Speed Figure.

Antonio Gallardo has the mount on Niagara Skyline again for trainer John Charalambous.

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Told It All was a frustrated third as the lukewarm favorite when joining the series Aug. 5. After hugging the rail behind the leaders, he awaited room in the stretch and then surged late to just miss second.

Told It All won a second-level allowance/optional claimer in his only other outing at the meet on the Tapeta in June. Daisuke Fukumoto will break him from the outside post in the seven-horse field for trainer Suzy Drake, who claimed the 5-year-old for a bargain $9,500 in July 2021.

Salvator Mundi was fourth behind Reconfugure in the first leg, before edging out Told It All for the place most recently after an ideal inside-out trip. Trainer Harold Ladouceur, who claimed the 6-year-old for $15,000 in December, will give Justin Stein a leg up.

Reconfigure will try to rebound off a wide sixth-place finish in the second leg. The durable 10-year-old hit the board in each of his eight previous starts, including a daylight score in the first leg where he got an 84 Beyer.

Reconfigure was the leading points earner in the 2020 Woodbine Turf Sprint Series when trained by Robert Tiller. Trainer Marty Drexler claimed him for $20,000 in November and has secured leading rider Kazushi Kimura for the mount on the 126-pound highweight.

Sir Seamus put away the other speed before fading to fourth behind Niagara Skyline and company when dropping into the series Aug. 5. With the portable rail in lane 3, he figures to shake loose up front under Rafael Hernandez, while going a distance that has been within his range in the past.

Ready Hero is jumping up off a $15,000 claim by trainer Norm McKnight and a victory over nonwinners-of-three opposition.

Rounding out the field is Red Hierarchy, who came from third to beat $25,000 claimers over six furlongs in his first turf attempt on Aug. 5.