Ross-trained duo have complementary running styles

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Junior Hot Shot has landed in an appropriate spot in Sunday’s Woodbine feature, a conditioned allowance with a $50,000 claiming option. He’s one of two John Ross-trained 4-year-olds by Souper Speedy in the six-furlong Tapeta sprint, along with Its Time to Shine.

Junior Hot Shot is a five-time winner from 12 starts who won two restricted stakes last year. He prevailed in the front-end battle and the war when clearing the first open allowance condition with a career-best 84 Beyer Speed Figure in his April 27 season debut.

When moving out from 5 1/2 to seven furlongs most recently at this level, Junior Hot Shot battled three wide for the lead on the turn and was cut off at the eighth pole before fading to sixth. He was placed fifth after the rival who impeded him, Society’s Thunder, was disqualified from first to sixth.

Junior Hot Shot has been scratched as a main-track-only entrant several times since his last race. He has worked three times on the dirt training track in the past month, including five-eighths in a bullet 1:00.60 on June 21.

Its Time to Shine was supplemented to Saturday’s Highlander Stakes before being scratched when that Grade 2 turf sprint came up tough. The Highlander field includes Canadian champions Patches O’Houlihan and My Boy Prince.

Its Time to Shine won three straight Tapeta sprints in front-running style starting in December and culminating with a three-length score in a first-level allowance/optional claimer on May 18. He tried five-eighths on the inner turf at this level most recently, checking in second after a stalking trip before being demoted to third by disqualification.

Jose Campos retains the mount on Its Time to Shine, a half-brother to 2023 King’s Plate victor Paramount Prince and the 125-pound highweight in this race. Eswan Flores will ride Junior Hot Shot, who has tactical speed and could assume a stalking position while his stablemate vies for the lead.

The closers Oscar Joy and Paintthetownsilver are legitimate win candidates.

Oscar Joy was competitive in allowance company on the grass in Southern California last year. In his Tapeta debut and first start for trainer Mark Casse following a layoff here May 29, he rallied along a live rail to win a preliminary allowance going away with a career-high 84 Beyer.

Paintthetownsilver has been idle since ending up fourth in a fast 6 1/2-furlong event at this level Dec. 15. He has been working right along for trainer Roger Attfield, who has decent numbers with six-month-plus layoff runners.

Casse also is sending out Rapid Grey, who folded in the final furlong after setting a fast pace on a golden rail in his May 25 seasonal bow.

Speed Figures is shedding blinkers while Maakwa is adding a hood. Both runners have speed and could go with Its Time to Shine early.