Vandoo drops blinkers, takes on males again
?q=100)
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – With some changes to her makeup, the speedy Vandoo takes on males in Friday’s eighth race at Woodbine. The six-furlong sprint for 2-year-olds combines nonwinners-of-two Ontario-sired allowance types with $40,000 claimers and is worth $61,800.
Vandoo dead-heated for the top spot when earning her diploma against males on debut going five-eighths July 29. A month later, she set a fast pace before fading to third in the $201,000 Muksoka Stakes, a 6 1/2-furlong test for 2-year-old filly graduates of yearling sales that contained two next-out winners.
“Her first race was really good,” trainer Kevin Attard said. “We were trying to get a race prior to the yearling sales stakes, and I wasn’t sure if she was completely cranked up. I was happy to see her hang on and win. I thought she could improve off that a little.
“We put blinkers on in the Muskoka and maybe she was a little too sharp. Cutting back to six furlongs is going to help. We took the blinkers off, and we’re adding Lasix. She bled a little bit in her last start. We entered her against fillies, but the race didn’t go.”
Kazushi Kimura rides Vandoo again for Canuck Racing Club. The daughter of Souper Speedy, who cost $22,000 at the local yearling sale, is a half-sister to four-time stakes winner Not So Quiet.
Meko Makee is dropping off a failed turf experiment and should be forwardly placed after breaking from post 9 in the 10-horse field.
Trained by Bill Tharrenos, Meko Makee rode a golden rail to a blowout maiden score at second asking Aug. 19. When switching to seven-eighths on the main turf most recently in the Bull Page Stakes, he dueled for the lead before fading to fifth as the 5-2 favorite. Omar Moreno retains the mount.
Siesta Beach and That Girl Artemus both got a 66 Beyer Speed Figure when graduating against Ontario-sired and $40,000 maidens in September.
With Sahin Civaci aboard, Siesta Beach rallied wide from fourth to prevail after drifting out in deep stretch fourth time out in a 5 1/2-furlong dash.
That Girl Artemus dropped from the maiden special ranks and came from third to win comfortably traveling six furlongs under apprentice Desean Bynoe.
Cantucci breaks from the outside under Larry Munoz, who guided him to victory against $25,000 maidens in his fourth start Sept. 17.
Chasing Bourbon closed from midpack to dead heat with Vandoo in her lone outing with Leo Salles up. The full brother to stakes-winning sprinter Rockcrest has worked three times since mid-September, including a bullet half-mile in 47 seconds on Sept. 22.
Completing the field are Valley Victory, Natural Star, Always a Way, and Classy Image.
Post time is 1:15 p.m.
:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.