Red-hot Attard presents Defenman

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - This should be trainer Sid Attard's favorite time of year.

Attard, who won a memorable running of the Grade 1 Atto Mile with Numerous Times last September, has been on a recent tear at Woodbine. Last week alone, he won with Kinesthesia ($13.90), Dance Diana ($18.70), Serena's Lady ($8.50), and Always Split Aces ($9.50).

Attard will saddle several live runners on Friday's card, including Defenman, the likely favorite in the featured eighth, a $62,500 claimer for 3-year-olds and up.

Defenman was eased in his 2002 debut on May 4, but showed he still had it by finishing second when he returned in a race at this level on July 1.

Attard ran him back on the turf just 11 days later in $80,000 company, but Defenman struggled home about nine lengths in arrears.

Defenman threw in another clunker when he moved back to the dirt in a $62,500 optional claimer on Aug. 5. He got back on track most recently, on Aug. 25, winning a $50,000 claimer with authority while hanging up a season-high 89 Beyer Speed Figure.

Leading rider Patrick Husbands has the mount on Defenman, a son of Unbridled owned by Mel Lawson's Jim Dandy Stable.

Rounding out the field for the 1 1/16-mile race are Indian Dan, Riddell's Creek, Valid N Bold, and Ice Water.

Ice Water and Valid N Bold were both once trained by Sid Attard.

Ice Water, now trained by Sid's brother, Tino, is trying a route for the first time since he ran second to Runaway Love in the restricted Steady Growth Stakes on May 29.

Ice Water has surprisingly failed to hit the board in the interim while competing in three seven-furlong races, but he is getting a rider switch to the red-hot Todd Kabel, who won with five of his seven mounts on Monday.

Valid N Bold stalked a slow pace before fading to fifth most recently, on Aug. 22, in a tough $80,000 optional claimer, when he might not have liked the muddy track. He ran two solid races on turf at that level in July for trainer Tom Bowden and is worth serious consideration on Friday if the track is fast.

Riddell's Creek was voted the Sovereign Award as Canada's champion 2-year-old in 1998, when he won the Grade 2 Summer and Swynford Stakes for owner-trainer Bev Buck.

Riddell's Creek is winless since September 1998, but he finished in the money in three of four turf starts in June and July. Apprentice Lori Biter has the call.

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