Two fillies a big part of feature picture

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Two-year-olds will be in the spotlight in Thursday's Woodbine feature, and the two fillies in the field, Dawn Raid and Kid Sparkle, should be well backed in the 5 1/2-furlong allowance.

Dawn Raid, a daughter of hot freshman sire Vindication, was a $70,000 yearling purchase by Woodford Racing and trainer Mark Casse.

Dawn Raid debuted in a five-furlong maiden race Aug. 16, rallying four wide from midpack to prevail and getting a respectable Beyer Speed Figure of 78. The second-, third-, and fourth-place finishers from that dash all came back to graduate in maiden special company, most notably Eva's World, who won easily with a Beyer Figure of 83.

Patrick Husbands, who has 50 wins from 190 mounts at the meeting for Casse, retains the mount on Dawn Raid.

Kid Sparkle was sidelined for two months after ending up fifth in her June 23 opener. She put away two rivals on the lead en route to a comfortable victory Aug. 24, earning a 79 Beyer for running five furlongs in 57.40 seconds.

Emma Wilson will ride Kid Sparkle for trainer Paul Attard.

The colts and geldings in the field are Not Bourbon, Gun Highway, San Geminiano, and Bearzava.

Not Bourbon, a homebred trained by Roger Attfield, is out of the millionaire sprinter Bourbon Belle.

Making his second start in the Vandal Stakes, Not Bourbon finished third behind the front-running Stuck in Traffic and Don's Folly, who returned to take the restricted Simcoe Stakes. Not Bourbon won his maiden over Ontario-sired opposition most recently, despite running greenly in the stretch.

Gun Highway showed little after getting away slowly when he debuted on the Polytrack. He added Lasix for a subsequent maiden event on the grass and split horses in the stretch to score in a slow clocking, which might have been the result of the gusting winds that day.

San Geminiano won his first start over $25,000 maidens with a solid 76 Beyer July 19, when he was claimed by trainer Radlie Loney. A slow start may have cost him the win in a subsequent allowance, where he rallied for second behind favored Mighty Vow. Last time, he flashed speed before fading in the Silver Deputy Stakes, and he is taking the blinkers off.

Bearzava was a $140,000 2-year-old purchase by Bear Stable and trainer Reade Baker, who won last Saturday's Grade 2 Cotillion Handicap with Bear Now. He led throughout his only start in a five-furlong maiden dash, getting a 65 Beyer for completing the distance in 58.60 seconds.