Quick in Deed one to beat facing elders

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - The aptly named Quick in Deed figures to be strongly backed to win his second start in a row Thursday at Woodbine in a 6 1/2-furlong allowance for Ontario-sired runners.

Quick in Deed, 3, has hit the board in each of his five starts, all for Kelynack Racing Stable and trainer Abraham Katryan. After graduating first time out, he was third behind Wholelottabourbon - who went on to become the Canadian champion 2-year-old - in the Bull Page Stakes, then ended his 2-year-old campaign by running second to Bull Page runner-up Enough Is Enough in the Frost King Stakes.

Quick in Deed finished second in his 2005 debut in allowance company behind Verne's Baby, who came back to take the Queenston Stakes. Most recently, on May 12, he blew away Ontario-sired nonwinners-of- two opposition, earning a solid 93 Beyer Speed Figure for running the six furlongs in 1:10.20.

Quick in Deed drilled three-eighths in a bullet 34.40 seconds on the main track May 23, and should be prominent from the outset here, breaking from the 1-hole under regular rider Ray Sabourin. He is the lone 3-year-old in the eight-horse field.

Among the others entered in Thursday's feature are Wakefields, Bottom Bay, One to Celebrate, and Bullish Executive.

Wakefields won the race after Quick in Deed's at Woodbine on May 12, also an Ontario-sired allowance, but ran much slower. Trained by David Bell, Wakefields earned a career-high 77 Beyer when third in open allowance company in his first start of the year.

Todd Kabel retains the mount on Wakefields, who is coupled with Bottom Bay in the Melnyk Racing Stable entry.

Bottom Bay is making his first start since Nov. 25, when he wired weaker Ontario-sired allowance foes going 6 1/2 furlongs. He recorded a sharp five-furlong workout in 1:01.20 two weeks ago for trainer Mark Casse, who has been winning at a 16 percent clip with runners returning from a layoff of 180 days or longer.

One to Celebrate is also returning from an extended break. Trained by Reade Baker, One to Celebrate won his maiden sprinting last spring, then took a July 1 allowance route by 5 1/4 lengths. He has been sidelined since trailing the field in the Prince of Wales Stakes at Fort Erie last July 18.

Bullish Executive has improved with each subsequent outing this year. After finishing a wide sixth in his first start back, he ran third in an Ontario sire allowance dash. Last time out, in an open preliminary allowance, he closed for third over a speed-favoring track.