Tree Rings looks beatable

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Tree Rings should be well-backed in Thursday's Woodbine feature, but his hanging tendencies make him a vulnerable favorite in the six-furlong allowance for Ontario-sired runners.

Tree Rings has finished second on four occasions since graduating against $20,000 maidens in June. He turned heads while ending up second at 75-1 in an Ontario-sired allowance on turf Aug. 6, and then showed that effort wasn't a fluke 12 days later, when he was beaten a head in an open grass allowance.

Tree Rings recorded his third consecutive runner-up placing in another seven-furlong allowance Sept. 9, but he could only manage fourth in a subsequent Ontario-sired allowance. He competed out of his proper condition in his next-to-last outing, in a nonwinners-of-three on the Polytrack, and ran the race of his life to finish a head behind victorious Knightly Attire.

Most recently, Tree Rings never fired while racing wide over yielding ground in the restricted Bunty Lawless Stakes and wound up seventh.

The patient Chantal Sutherland will get a leg up from trainer Conrad Belaire on Tree Rings, who has failed to hit the board in five starts at six furlongs.

Other contenders include Wookin to Run, Blue Deputy, Bold Finale, and Money Trail.

Wookin to Run overcame a tardy start to win his maiden with an eye-catching rally in his 11th start, a six-furlong grass sprint Oct. 6. The turf expert tried the Polytrack in his last outing in allowance company and finished second after breaking slowly and lacking room early in the stretch.

Emma Wilson retains the mount on Wookin to Run, who is trained by Sid Attard.

Attard will also saddle Blue Deputy, who has placed in two Ontario-sired allowances at the meeting. He ran evenly when fourth last time out, in a $40,000 conditioned claimer.

Bold Finale is a longshot possibility in his first attempt with Lasix.

Trained by Shelley Fitzgerald, Bold Finale won his debut at five furlongs on April 27. He didn't start again until July 11, when he ran third in an Ontario-sired allowance won by Stonetown, who subsequently won the Elgin Stakes. Bold Finale has been idle since ending up sixth in a July 26 allowance and has been working on a regular basis leading up to this engagement.

Money Trail closed belatedly on the outside to finish third behind Wookin to Run on Oct. 31. The runner directly behind him that day, Born Loose, is also in Thursday's field.