Rockcrest brings sharp form to turf sprint

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Rockcrest has been in solid form going back to last fall, and the rapid gray gelding should be favored in Thursday’s featured conditioned allowance with a $50,000 claiming option going five-eighths on the inner turf.

A 5-year-old trained by Nigel Burke, Rockcrest won the Simcoe Stakes for graduates of Canadian yearling sales at 2. The five-furlong expert got a career-high 93 Beyer Speed Figure when a second to the favored Not So Quiet in the Vice Regent Stakes for Ontario-sired runners in September. He then closed his 2021 campaign with another second on the inner turf in a conditioned allowance in October.

Rockcrest was razor-sharp for his May 12 season debut against nonwinners-of-three opposition on the Tapeta, darting out to a clear lead and going on to win easily with a 91 Beyer. He followed that with a close second in a June 5 conditioned allowance on the inner turf.

Burke sent Rockcrest to Horseshoe Indianapolis on July 13 for the five-furlong William Garrett Stakes. After pressing the pace until inside the eighth pole, he flattened out late to finish a respectable fourth at 7-1.

Keveh Nicholls was aboard for Rockcrest’s last seven races at Woodbine and will ride the son of Old Forester again Thursday.

:: Bet the races with a $200 First Deposit Match and FREE Formulator PPs! Join DRF Bets.

Warp Ride, Spite Store, and Kawacatoose also possess speed.

Warp Ride graduated first time out at 2 for trainer Andrew Smith and was recently reunited with him after a suspension Smith was serving ended.

Warp Ride is by the good turf sire Astern, so it wasn’t surprising to see him win his turf debut in a first-level allowance by a nose over Spite Store on June 19. He failed to show his customary early foot most recently and flattened out to fifth after a three-wide trip.

Luis Contreras inherits the mount from the suspended Eswan Flores on Warp Drive, the lone 3-year-old in the six-horse field.

Spite Store was beaten a nose by Warp Ride after leading the way June 19, when they both received an 88 Beyer. He was claimed for $32,000 then by trainer Richard Morden, who has a 27 percent strike rate at the meet.

Kawacatoose has won three of his four starts at the meet, all on the Tapeta. He wound up third in his only inner turf excursion last August.

Forester’s Fortune is the lone true closer in the lineup and could be along in time if there’s a contested pace. He’s shortening up off a second going six furlongs on the main course and has a five-furlong inner turf tally on his record.

Also entered is Real Money, who’s returning from a freshening and was victorious over $40,000 claimers in his penultimate start on the Tapeta.

Post time for Thursday racing has been rolled back by 10 minutes to 4:50 p.m. There are eight races on the Thursday card.