True Temper working strongly for return
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ETOBICOKE, Ontario – The once-beaten True Temper returns from an extended layoff as a first-time gelding in Sunday’s Woodbine headliner, a conditioned allowance in which he will experiment on the grass against a hodgepodge of opponents.
A 5-year-old trained by Mark Casse, True Temper made all four of his starts in Tapeta sprints in 2023. He came from fourth to land his debut here in April of that year and then didn’t saw action again until his front-running allowance score the following Oct. 22. Six weeks later, he earned a big 93 Beyer Speed Figure scoring at this level. The son of Maclean’s Music has been sidelined since ending up 10th in the Dec. 30 Holiday Cheer Stakes at Turfway.
True Temper has the classic Casse workout pattern for a long-term comebacker. He recorded a booming five-eighths drill in a bullet 59.40 seconds from the gate May 28, followed by an easy half-mile breeze in 48.80 June 5.
True Temper goes 6 1/2 furlongs on the main turf on Sunday with Patrick Husbands riding for Jackpot Farm. Maclean’s Music has sired a good 15 percent winners in turf sprints. His dam, Bingo, took the 2011 Ontario Damsel Stakes going a mile here on the grass for Casse. Over the past five years, Casse won at a 16 percent clip with six-month-plus layoff runners at Woodbine, with a return on investment of $1.44.
Casse is also sending out Lucky Score, who was a well-beaten seventh in both of his races on the grass last year. This spring, the classy closer checked in third and second in a pair of Tapeta sprints at this level.
Wico recently changed trainers, going from Wesley Ward to Pat Parente. The Irish-bred placed in back-to-back second-level allowances on the dirt at Aqueduct and Keeneland before getting a recent break and was competitive on the grass in the past.
Covey missed the board in his last two outings on the grass at Santa Anita when trained by Michael McCarthy. The Frankel gelding won on turf and synthetics in England in 2023 and has been working bullets over Turfway’s Tapeta for trainer Ethan West, who sent out Purr Factor to win easily here May 16, his lone runner at this meet.
Bertani is making his first start for the trainer Roger Attfield after winning two of four dirt races at Sunland and Zia Park. The son of 6 percent turf sprint sire Vino Rosso is out of a stakes-placed turf specialist by More Than Ready.
Trainer Patrick Dixon saddles Perfect Crime and Arabian Prince. Perfect Crime is winless in 10 starts since beating Ontario-sired stakes opposition in the Overskate late in 2023 here on the inner turf. Arabian Prince placed in 10 of 19 grass outings without finding the mark. He was softened up in a speed duel in his season opener on the Tapeta and has done the bulk of his best running from off the pace.
Junior Hot Shot, who is entered for the main track only, rounds out the field.
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