Stats say Herluf won't mind 13-hole

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Believe it or not, post 13 has by far the highest win percentage in routes on the Polytrack at the Woodbine meeting, going 3 for 11 for a 27 percent rate.

Herluf drew the outside post in Wednesday's seventh race, a second-level Ontario-sired allowance, and will break from lucky post 13 if there are no scratches in the 1 1/16-mile race.

Herluf, trained by Earl Barnett for Openwood Farm, captured 1 1/16-mile allowance in his third start of the year June 14. He got a 78 Beyer Speed Figure when second in a subsequent seven-furlong dash won by Delaforce, who placed in stakes in each of his next two starts.

Shortening up to six furlongs most recently, Herluf pressed the pace before ending up second behind the heavily favored Grazettes Landing.

Herluf has tactical speed, and might not have too wide a journey on Wednesday under Eurico Rosa Da Silva, who has won four races for Barnett at the meeting.

In two starts in June, stretch-runner Mamma's Knight won a two-turn allowance and ran seventh in the $1 million Queen's Plate. He never fired when third at low odds in a July 9 allowance, and was eighth behind Marlang last time out on turf in the 1 1/2-mile Breeders' Stakes.

Trainer Sam DiPasquale is pulling the blinkers off Mamma's Knight, a maneuver that has served him well during the past two years.

Cool Hand Duke and Near Noise finished second and third in a slow-paced Ontario-sired allowance route Aug. 14.

Cool Hand Duke has finished in the top three in each of his six starts and won a 1 1/8-mile allowance that was taken off the grass June 30.

Near Noise returns on short rest off a failed turf experiment in an open first-level allowance.

Valid Venture and Money Spitter are coupled as the Laurie Silvera-trained entry.

The versatile Valid Venture will probably flash some speed.

Money Spitter dons blinkers off a flat fifth-place finish behind Grazettes Landing and Herluf.

Somarvelous is much better than his poor Aug. 14 performance would indicate, and could redeem himself at a square price.