Waldheim looks to live up to backing

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - The over-hyped Waldheim, who has been a disappointment to the chalk players, will try to get off the schneid in the first race on the final Thursday card of the Woodbine meet, a 1 1/16-mile maiden special for 2-year-olds.

Waldheim was a beaten favorite in all five of his starts. He finished three-quarters of a length behind future stakes winner Ghost Fleet when second in his 5 1/2-furlong opener in July.

Waldheim was a prominent second behind another promising prospect, D's Wando, in a seven-furlong maiden special in August. He rallied from off the pace to finish a close second to Battle Royal going 6 1/2 furlongs Sept. 12.

Waldheim was beaten just a neck in his first two-turn excursion Oct. 17, and had to settle for third after establishing a moderate pace in his initial try with Lasix. He set a fast pace in his last race before ending up second to Giant's Tomb, a nicely bred Sam-Son Farm runner by Awesome Again.

David Clark retains the mount on the Kentucky-bred Waldheim, who is trained by Josie Carroll.

Spirit Flying is a prospect for next year's Queen's Plate, a race that his half-brother Archers Bay won in 1998.

After ending up third in his six-furlong debut, Spirit Flying blew the break in a two-turn maiden special, en route to a fifth-place finish. He rallied quite wide to end up a neck behind Waldheim in third most recently.

Luis Contreras will ride Spirit Flying for Augustin Stable and trainer Mac Benson.

Bear in Control wasn't a factor in his first two appearances, both in sprints. He found his calling going long in his last race, when he wound up fourth behind Waldheim and Spirit Flying after a four-wide stalking trip.

Eurico Da Silva picks up the mount on the Reade Baker-trained Bear in Control, who's a half-brother to the millionaire Bear Now, Canada's champion older female last year.

Emile Ramsammy, who rode Bear in Control last time, has the call on Dino Dinaro, whom he guided to a runner-up placing in a slow maiden route that was taken off the grass Oct. 24.

Powermouse has had a break since finishing far back in the restricted Cup and Saucer Stakes on the grass Oct. 18. He was a nonthreatening third in his only other outing, which came in a seven-furlong maiden special on the Polytrack.