Perfect Bullet heads Stronach entry

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - The Stronach Stable entry of Perfect Bullet and Sligovitz will likely be favored in Thursday’s eighth race at Woodbine Racetrack, a third-level allowance route with an $80,000-75,000 claiming option.

Perfect Bullet went to the sidelines after running sixth in last year’s Grade 3 Dominion Day Stakes July 1. Following a layoff of nearly 16 months, Perfect Bullet wound up sixth in the allowance prep for the Autumn Stakes.

In the Grade 2 Autumn Nov. 13, Perfect Bullet got away slowly before running wide en route to a third-place finish behind a peaking Stunning Stag. He was just a half-length behind the talented Maryland shipper Smart Bid.

Sligovitz is best remembered for bolting to the outside in the stretch while seemingly headed for victory in the 2008 Breeders’ Stakes, in which he ran second to Marlang.

Sligovitz is surprisingly winless over the past two years, but he managed a fourth behind Eldaafer Sept. 11 in the Grade 3 Turfway Park Fall Championship. He is shortening up to 1 1/16 miles off a lackluster effort in the 1 1/2-mile allowance prep for the Valedictory Stakes.

Jockey Jono Jones was named on Sligovitz and Perfect Bullet, who is scheduled to compete with bar shoes. They are both trained by Sean Smullen.

D’s Wando is stretching out to 1 1/16 miles off a second in a key optional claimer that was won a sharp Court of the Realm. Don’s Folly exited that seven-furlong sprint to land an optional event, earning an Beyer Speed Figure of 88, and the trailer, Regally Ready, came back to romp in a five-furlong turf allowance at Churchill with a 101 Beyer.

Emma Wilson will ride the Ian Black-trained D’s Wando.

Kentucky shipper Jumpin Charlie has struggled since his last synthetic-track outing at Turfway Oct. 1, when he checked in second to the upwardly mobile Modern Cowboy.

The versatile Ice Bear, who has earned over $900,000 under the guidance of trainer Mac Benson, is winless in eight starts this year.

Ice Bear finished a close fifth in his last race on the grass in the Labeeb Stakes. He was previously second in the restricted Mt. Sassafras Stakes on the Polytrack.

So Elite, the runner-up in the Sept. 25 Ontario Derby, finished ninth in the Oct. 31 Labeeb.

Also entered are recent allowance winner Cold Harbor and turf specialist Jimmy Simms, who has never competed on synthetics.