Victoria's Chief fresh for drop in class

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Victoria’s Chief tries a new lower class level off a layoff in Friday’s seventh race going 1 1/16 miles at Woodbine. Is it a dicey drop? Could the 3-year-old be taking an edge? How does he run when fresh? Those are some of the questions handicappers should ponder when sizing up his changes in this $25,000 nonwinners-of-two claimer.

Trained by Mark Casse, Victoria’s Chief was competitive against Florida-bred maiden special weight opponents early this year at Gulfstream. When exiting a three-month break here June 18, the son of Kitten’s Joy beat Fanmore when a wide-closing winner of a 1 1/16-mile maiden special on the inner turf.

Victoria’s Chief’s first allowance engagement on Aug. 3 was a disappointing sixth-place finish. Most recently on Aug. 27, he competed with a $40,000 claiming tag against nonwinners-of-two company in another six-furlong main turf sprint. After getting cut off along the rail at the three-sixteenths pole, he finished fourth and was promoted to third by disqualification in a race that he didn’t seem destined to win.

Victoria’s Chief’s best Beyer Speed Figure of 71 matches the Beyer par for this level, so the class drop seems appropriate for a runner owned by the high-profile Live Oak Plantation. His workout pattern contains an early October gap, but he breezed an above-average half-mile twice in recent weeks, a good sign.

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Patrick Husbands, who was aboard for Victoria’s Chief’s graduation, has the mount Friday. The journeyman scored on 29 of 120 rides at the meet for Casse, and they’re the most successful jockey/trainer combo in Woodbine history.

Leslie Chow, Midway Mischief, and Colonel Mustard are among the others in the eight-horse field.

Leslie Chow began the meet on a positive note when a wide fourth behind three next-out winners in an Aug. 6 sprint on the Tapeta. He subsequently ran second to the improving Hemlo Gold on the inner turf before tailing off. The 4-year-old was a pace-pressing second when dropping to this level most recently.

Emma-Jayne Wilson will ride Leslie Chow again for trainer Barbara Minshall.

Midway Mischief is shedding the blinkers off a flat fourth behind Leslie Chow in a nine-furlong Tapeta route on Oct. 14. The 5-year-old’s maiden victory took place way back in September 2021, and he did lose a nonwinners-of-two race by disqualification last fall.

The red-hot leading rider Kazushi Kimura will get a leg up from trainer Sid Attard on Midway Mischief. They’re a combined 3 for 13 at the meet.

Colonel Mustard, a 4-year-old trained by Marty Drexler, earned his diploma in his ninth start in July traveling seven-eighths on the Tapeta. He ran hot and cold against Ontario-sired/$40,000 nonwinners-of-two rivals, finishing a dull fifth as the favorite in his latest venture. Drexler’s go-to jockey, Sahin Civaci, has the mount.

Post time for the eight-race card is 1:05 p.m.

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