Tamazula finds a good spot in sprint feature
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Whenever trainer Armando de la Cerda comes to Woodbine from his Arlington base, it’s time to sit up and take notice, and he sends out Tamazula in Friday’s headliner, a second-level optional claimer for fillies and mares.
Tamazula has hit the board in three of her four Woodbine outings, including in two first-level allowances last year, but has yet to win here. She captured her season opener in a six-furlong optional claimer at Arlington and had a wide trip after a troubled break before ending up third there in a subsequent seven-furlong optional claimer.
Most recently here in a six-furlong sprint at this level, Tamazula came from third to finish a lapped-on second behind the favorite, Tahnee. The third-place finisher, Bear’s Pearl, returned to win the allowance prep for the Royal North Stakes.
De la Cerda has two wins from six starts at the Woodbine meet while using jockey Justin Stein exclusively. Stein, who won the 2014 Ontario Matron Stakes for de la Cerda on La Tia, retains the mount on Tamazula.
The 6 1/2-furlong feature is carded as race 8 on a nine-race card that also includes three turf events.
KEY CONTENDERS
Tamazula (Last 3 Beyers: 78-73-73)
◗ The 4-year-old breezed a half-mile in 48.80 seconds June 26 at Arlington, which was about an average time among 37 workers that day.
Kay’s Grace (Last 3 Beyers: 69-80-75)
◗ The lanky gray rallied inside from fourth to finish a close second in her seasonal debut in the restricted Ballade Stakes, a six-furlong dash in which Tahnee set a lively pace before weakening. She broke outward and raced wide throughout while failing to threaten in a subsequent optional claimer.
◗ She was scratched from a much tougher spot on holiday Wednesday, the Sweet Briar Too Stakes.
Reserved (Last 3 Beyers: 74-24-52)
◗ The lone 3-year-old in the field closed with the aid of an outside bias to prevail in a slow-placed entry-level allowance going seven furlongs when she came off the sidelines June 12. Third-leading rider Alan Garcia will pilot the daughter of Kitten’s Joy again.
Line of Best Fit (Last 3 Beyers: 69-72-76)
◗ She used her tactical speed to record two wins and a pair of seconds in her last four starts dating back to September, when she notched an optional claimer at Fort Erie.
Big Brown Brookski (Last 3 Beyers: 72-66-52)
◗ She set a pedestrian pace en route to a daylight score over Line of Best Fit in a recent $50,000 claimer that was taken off the turf.