WEBN Stakes attracts evenly matched crowd of 3-year-old sprinters
RACE REPLAY IS NOT AVAILABLE
Stakes races for 3-year-old sprinters this year have largely drawn short fields, regardless of whether the race was graded, like last week’s five-horse San Vicente Stakes at Santa Anita, or a modest race, like the $50,000 Space City at Sam Houston, which had seven.
That leaves Saturday’s $50,000 WEBN at Turfway Park as an exception to the norm. A 6 1/2-furlong sprint, it drew a closely matched field of 12, plus a pair of also-eligibles.
The WEBN offers a wide mix of runners, including a pair of fillies in Banree and Tia Flor who land here because the Cincinnati Trophy Stakes was not rescheduled after last Saturday’s program was canceled; Surgical Strike, a graded-stakes-dropping turf horse with consistently the highest Beyer Speed Figures in the race; dirt stakes winner Twirling Cinnamon; and Oh Oz, the leader of the local colony.
Banree, trained by Wesley Ward and with Edgar Prado named to ride, is the tepid 7-2 morning-line favorite, followed by Oh Oz at 4-1 and Surgical Strike at 9-2.
Oh Oz is established on Turfway’s Polytrack, while the other favorites are unraced on synthetic tracks. He is 2 for 2 locally, winning a first-level allowance by 8 1/2 lengths on Dec. 17 and scoring a six-length romp against open allowance runners Jan. 30.
“He’s going in the right direction,” said trainer Chuck Peery. “I’m hoping we haven’t found the bottom of him yet.”
Rodney Prescott rides Oh Oz.
WEBN Stakes, Race 7
Key contenders
Surgical Strike, by Red Giant
Last 3 Beyers: 80-77-78
◗ Was entered in a first-level allowance grass race at Tampa Bay Downs on Thursday but failed to draw into that race from the also-eligible list.
Banree, by Macho Uno
Last 3 Beyers: 74-76-43
◗ Trainer Ward believes she showed a liking for Polytrack in breezing five furlongs in 1:00 at Turfway on Feb. 6. Working in company with No Hiding Place, an older horse entered Friday in a second-level allowance, she broke off a few lengths ahead of him and refused to let him pass in the stretch, said Ward.
Oh Oz, by Parading
Last 3 Beyers: 73-65-56
◗ Has rattled off three consecutive victories after a debut at Churchill Downs in which he lost all chance with a troubled start. His three victories also have come with blinkers on.
Twirling Cinnamon, by Twirling Candy
Last 3 Beyers: 71-71-79
◗ A three-time winner from seven starts, he won a soft renewal of the Space City Stakes at Sam Houston after a close second in the Sugar Bowl at Fair Grounds.