Silent Sky should be favored in move to turf

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Silent Sky, who had a productive spring on the Tapeta at Woodbine, should be favored in Friday’s headliner going 1 1/16 miles on the inner turf for nonwinners-of-three Ontario-sired allowance types and $40,000 claimers.

Trained by Kevin Attard for Terra Racing Stable, Silent Sky beat a solid group of non-winners of two females traveling seven furlongs under Patrick Husbands in her May 10 season opener. Stretching out to 1 1/16 miles against males most recently, the daughter of Silent Name made a wide bid from mid-pack to finish a respectable fourth under apprentice Desean Bynoe.

The highlight of Silent Sky’s 2023 campaign was a decisive score over Ontario-sired maidens on the main turf in September, for which she got a 74 Beyer Speed Figure. She earned a 75 Beyer when a chalky second in two subsequent starts against nonwinners-of-two opposition before getting the winter off.

Silent Sky is being reunited with Husbands, who will break her from post 7 in an eight-horse field.

Swinging Mandy figures to lead the way under apprentice Sofia Vives, who was aboard for her last victory in the fall of 2022.

A restricted stakes winner three years ago at 2 on the inner turf, Swinging Mandy placed in all three of her races during a brief 2023 campaign before missing the second half of the year. She’s coming off a prominent third in her second start back in a six-furlong main-turf sprint and her trainer, Mark Casse, has decent numbers with stretchouts.

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After wintering in Florida, Novel upset War Painter when scoring by a nose in a six-furlong allowance in her May 4 comeback before trailing in the seven-furlong Fury Stakes. The daughter of Frac Daddy is going long for the first time with ample stamina in her pedigree.

Rafael Hernandez will ride Novel for trainer by Katerina Vassilieva. They’re a combined 4 for 8 at the meet. Novel is nominated to the $500,000 Woodbine Oaks on July 20.

Voice From Above wintered at Turfway Park, where she beat maidens and $50,000 starter-allowance opponents in back-to-back one-mile Tapeta races before getting a spring break. Trying the turf for the first time here June 1, she was a non-threatening seventh behind the likes of Liam’s Gift and Miss Roberts in a one-mile allowance for 3-year-olds that had a $50,000 claiming option.

Luis Contreras picks up the mount on Voice From Above. The journeyman is 1 for 3 for trainer Kelsey Danner.

Fortyfiveseventy has been idle since ending up fifth behind the future stakes winners Tito’s Calling and Fashionably Fab in the Aug. 13 Bison City Stakes. Justin Stein takes over for owner/trainer Barbara Minshall, who has a 21 percent success rate with six-month-plus layoff types.

Rounding out the fourth-race field are Zisisit, Inscrutable, and Julie’s Mist.

Post time for the seven-race card is 1:10 p.m.

:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.