Winds of Time loving Lasix

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - After winning her only start at 2, Winds of Time was a bust last year in England, failing to hit the top three in seven starts. She has been rejuvenated on this side of the pond, however, and deserves top billing in Friday's Woodbine headliner, a $62,500 allowance/optional claimer.

Winds of Time's 2005 form deteriorated with each subsequent outing after her dreadful display over soft ground in a July 27 handicap at Goodwood, in which she carried a whopping 138 pounds. In her final English appearance, in a listed event over Lingfield's Polytrack, she ran last in a 12-horse field.

Winds of Time went on Lasix for her North American debut April 2, and finished third at 30-1 in a first-level allowance over Santa's Anita's hillside turf course.

Winds of Time reappeared in a 1 1/16-mile allowance here May 28 and used her fitness advantage to rally for a half-length score. She earned an 86 Beyer Speed Figure in both of her North American starts, and has obviously thrived with the addition of Lasix. North American grass courses are generally firmer than those in Europe, which may also be a contributing factor in her significant improvement.

Emile Ramsammy will ride Winds of Time for trainer Josie Carroll, a rider-trainer combination that is 3 for 10 at the meeting.

Extra Bases, Virginia Plain, Honey Green, and Turtle Drive are also in the 1 1/8-mile feature.

Extra Bases had a useful 2005 season for trainer Mark Casse, winning a first-level allowance over yielding ground in August. In her 2006 season opener going a mile, Extra Bases ran second to the favorite, Nottawasaga, after dueling through slow fractions.

Virginia Plain, trained by Jim Smith, closed belatedly to finish third behind Extra Bases in her first start of the meeting June 2. She finished third in each of her three winter outings at Oaklawn, but was far back in her next-to-last start in a grass allowance at Keeneland.

Trainer Scott Fairlie sends out the entry of Honey Green and Turtle Drive, but will likely scratch one of them because both are front-runners.

Honey Green won a recent $50,000 claimer, which was taken off the grass, under a hand ride in the mud. Emma Wilson inherits the mount on Honey Green from another apprentice, Michelle Rainford, who is serving a suspension.

Rainford also rode Turtle Drive to an authoritative victory against $25,000 claimers on the main track May 27. Apprentice Justin Stein has the call on Turtle Drive.