Periwinkle at a level where she can win
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ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Periwinkle gets some noteworthy class relief in Thursday’s Woodbine headliner and should be among the favorites in the nonwinners-of-three route for Ontario-sired allowance types and $40,000 claimers.
Trainer Dominic Polsinelli claimed Periwinkle from a winning effort against non-winners of two for $25,000 on July 3 for owner Nick Sampogna. She made her next two starts in sprints at this level on different surfaces, finishing fourth and third under regular rider Jose Campos.
Periwinkle has continued to be a minor player in her last three outings, all at the first open allowance category while competing for the claiming option. She has gone long on the inner turf in her last two starts and is trying 1 1/16 miles on the Tapeta for just the second time on Thursday in a wide-open seven-horse field of fillies and mares.
Periwinkle breezed a half-mile in 49.60 seconds last Friday. Over the past five years, Polsinelli has won at an 8 percent clip going turf to synthetic, with a return on investment of $1.35.
Spun Around looks like a player in her third start outside the maiden ranks – if you ignore a recent turf experiment in an open allowance. Spun Around used her speed to win a pair of 1 1/16-mile Tapeta races in August, including a slow-paced, non-two race where she beat current rival Good as Gone. She has been working right along for trainer Stuart Simon and is being reunited with Fraser Aebly, who was aboard for both of her victories.
Good as Gone had everything her own way while setting a pedestrian pace on a golden rail when landing her penultimate race against non-two company over next-out winner Regal Moment. She cut back to seven furlongs most recently at this level and was a non-threatening fifth after breaking awkwardly.
Bedazzle Me is winless since beating non-two stock in December 2023 and has been trying to clear the non-three condition ever since. She was in solid form during the first half of the meet, which included a nose loss in a main turf sprint and a fourth versus males. A slow start and a three-wide trip worked against her most recently when she finished eighth in the restricted Eternal Search Stakes on the inner turf.
Nikita’s Gem bottomed out against $25,000 non-two opposition during this meet and prevailed at that class last time out in a Tapeta route that was taken off the turf. Apprentice Xarel Forde inherits the mount from Ryan Munger, who is sticking with Go Giffen.
Go Giffen rallied from far back to finish a close second in her second start off the sidelines in a Tapeta sprint in July before getting a break. Her two races this fall have been disappointing, and she’s stretching out to a distance over which she’s suspect.
Completing the sixth-race lineup is Snatched, who was beaten double digits in both of her October races going 1 1/16 miles on the inner turf.
Post time for the eight-race card is 5:30 p.m.
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