Souper Classy looks to end win drought in Woodbine feature

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – It’s been a long time between drinks for the protagonists in Friday’s Woodbine headliner, in which Souper Classy could go favored under leading rider Kazushi Kimura.

Souper Classy’s last victory came against nonwinners-of-two opposition in August 2021. The 4-year-old has been a model of consistency this year, earning a career-high 82 Beyer Speed Figure when second behind stakes winner Rockcrest in his second start off the bench on the Tapeta in May.

Souper Classy also was second two back going three-quarters on the main turf, a race won in gate-to-wire style by a razor-sharp All Canadian.

Souper Classy competed under the same conditions as Friday’s race most recently, in a five-furlong inner turf dash combining nonwinners-of-three Ontario-sired allowance types with $40,000 claimers. Sent off as the favorite, he never switched leads in the stretch and wound up third in a somewhat disappointing performance.

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Four Aces High beat out Souper Classy for second in a narrow loss on Aug. 19 and could be the main threat to him again Friday.

Four Aces High got his third consecutive Beyer in the high 70s most recently when finishing sixth in the restricted Vice Regent Stakes. The 6-year-old hasn’t found the mark since beating nonwinners-of-two foes in October 2020, when he received an 82 Beyer in a main turf sprint.

Emma-Jayne Wilson was aboard for each of Four Aces High’s scores, which were both in front-running fashion. She can make the most of his tactical speed after breaking him from post 5.

From the outside post 6, Celebratory could end his slump. He’s debuting off a $32,000 claim by trainer Don MacRae, who had a 22 percent strike rate off the claim over the past five years, with a return on investment of $1.81.

Celebratory is entered for $40,000 while dropping in class from that first-level allowance with a claiming option. That five-furlong Tapeta dash on July 10 contained the next-out winners Dotted Line, Fielder, and Jibaro.

Celebratory won a five-furlong allowance on the inner turf in gate-to-wire style when he was in peak form in the summer of 2021. The 5-year-old is shedding some weight with the hot apprentice Slade Jones taking over.

Master Spy is jumping up off a $15,000 claim by hot trainer Marty Drexler, a 24 percent angle. He added a bar shoe last time and finished a flat fourth as the chalk after negotiating a mile on the inner turf.

Sahin Civaci has the mount on Master Spy, who took the restricted Cup and Saucer Stakes two years ago at 2, but hasn’t scored since. This will be his first five-furlong start since finishing third in a key maiden special on debut.

Rounding out the sixth-race field are Big Executive and I’m a Chi Too.

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