Sachem Spirit fresh for Woodbine turf feature
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Sachem Spirit is one of several fresh, new faces on the local scene in Friday’s Woodbine feature, a second-level optional claimer scheduled for a mile on grass.
Sachem Spirit is making his first start for leading trainer Mark Casse following a 10-month layoff. The highlight of his career was a runner-up placing behind eventual Grade 1 winner Silver Max in the 2012 Arlington Classic.
Sachem Spirit was a minor player in optional-claiming company at Saratoga last summer, when he was trained by Christophe Clement. Eurico Rosa Da Silva will ride the 5-year-old, who has been working mostly bullets on the Polytrack.
The European import Flashlight has been idle since August, when he won a seven-furlong handicap at Epsom while toting 133 pounds. He has worked extensively on the grass for trainer Brian Lynch, who’s putting him on Lasix and has enlisted leading rider Luis Contreras.
Unbridled Fire is coming off a six-month absence for a live trainer, Stu Simon. His turf form is spotty, but the closer nearly won a second-level optional claimer at Laurel in October.
Say Ow is making his first start for trainer John Mattine, who has won at a blistering 32 percent clip at the meet. The 4-year-old has been idle since Jan. 18, when he finished up the track in the Grade 2 Strub on dirt at Santa Anita. He can handle the grass when he’s on his game, but like Unbridled Fire, he figures to need a race.
Star Contender is the second Casse-trained entrant in the field. The 2012 Cup and Saucer Stakes winner missed most of his 3-year-old season and was a tired seventh after leading the way when he returned from a 13-month break June 7. Patrick Husbands will ride him for owner John Oxley, the same combo that swept both holiday stakes here Tuesday.
Classic Bryce also could exhibit improvement in the stamina department in his second outing off the bench. His trainer, Darwin Banach, has a 40 percent strike rate over the past six months with runners making their second start after a layoff, according to DRF’s Formulator.
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Jubilate set slow fractions before drawing off for a six-length tally in a first-level allowance sprint June 8. He could hook up on the lead with Say No More, who is changing riders to apprentice Sheena Ryan after a disappointing effort going six furlongs June 20.
Completing the field are Money Talker and San Nicola Thunder.