Tell It as It Is looks tough on the turf

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Tell It as It Is would appear to be a standout in Thursday's Woodbine headliner, as long as the 1 1/4-mile optional claimer remains on the grass.

Tell It as It Is won her maiden last year in her debut before ending up a well-beaten fifth in the Grade 3 Tempted Stakes last November at Aqueduct. She made her belated 3-year-old bow in a July 21 allowance route here and wound up fourth in a quality seven-horse field.

Tell It as It Is subsequently ran second in another first-level allowance on the Polytrack. She made her turf debut Sept. 1 in an ambitious spot, the one-mile Ontario Colleen Stakes, and finished a very respectable fourth after a wide trip.

Most recently, over 1 1/4 miles on the grass, Tell It as It Is came from nine lengths back to score by a widening five lengths and received an 85 Beyer Speed Figure. Joyful Juno came out of that race and finished a close second in allowance company.

Emma Wilson retains the mount on Tell It as It Is, who is trained by Jim Smith for Cinnamont Stable.

Other possibilities include Pleasant Amelia, Bethany Beach, Parrsboro Gold, and Saffi.

Pleasant Amelia is winless in eight appearances at the meeting, but she hit the board in four of those races, which were all on the grass at this second-level allowance category.

Pleasant Amelia recorded three consecutive seconds during the summer, all over middle distances. She was third behind Callwood Dancer and the Ontario Colleen winner Speak Wisely over nine furlongs in her next-to-last outing, and was a wide fifth most recently on the Polytrack.

Trainer Mac Benson blew Pleasant Amelia out with three-eighths in a bullet 35.60 seconds on Monday. Apprentice Tyler Pizarro could have his hands full trying to get her to stay an extended distance.

Bethany Beach possesses more stamina than most of her opposition and could be the main threat to Tell It As It Is. She ran fourth in a 1 3/8-mile allowance Aug. 22 and was recently fourth in the 1 1/2-mile Flaming Page Stakes, from which victorious The Niagara Queen exited to finish fourth in the Grade 1 E.P. Taylor Stakes.

Parrsboro Gold has a win and a third from her three turf starts and has stuck to the Polytrack of late.

Saffi defeated allowance stock on the Poly in her latest and has performed well on the grass in the past.