Woodbine: Ami’s Holiday aims to prove himself in Display

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Ami’s Holiday will try to rebound off his subpar showing in the Coronation Futurity on Sunday at Woodbine in the $125,000 Display Stakes, a 1 1/16-mile route for 2-year-olds.

Ami’s Holiday has the same connections as last year’s Display winner, Avie’s Quality – owner Ivan Dalos, trainer Josie Carroll, and jockey Luis Contreras – although the two colts aren’t related.

Ami’s Holiday came along the rail from fourth to win his six-furlong opener Sept. 1. Five weeks later, he took the Grade 3 Grey Stakes after closing from fourth again. For covering 1 1/16 miles in 1:44.80, he was awarded an 80 Beyer Speed Figure.

Ami’s Holiday disappointed as the 3-5 favorite most recently in the Coronation Futurity. After racing in sixth on the backstretch, he rallied into traffic on the far turn before flattening out to finish four lengths back. He was subsequently demoted from fifth to seventh by disqualification.

Carroll felt that Ami’s Holiday was too lackadaisical in the Coronation.

“I don’t think he put himself into the race early enough,” Carroll said. “Then, he got into a lot of trouble. It was a hard race to get a good read on. He’d done no wrong up until that point. I think this will be a very, very key race for him. We’ll find out where we are.”

Display entrant Jose Sea View also captured his first two outings. After leading all the way in his six-furlong debut here Aug. 11, he survived a speed duel to land the 6 1/2-furlong Fitz Dixon Jr. Memorial Juvenile Stakes at Presque Isle Downs Sept. 26.

Jose Sea View switched to dirt in the Grade 2 Nashua at Aqueduct Nov. 3, and did okay to finish fifth behind Cairo Prince, according to trainer Reade Baker.

“I thought he ran super,” Baker said. “He broke fifth and finished fifth to Cairo Prince, who got beat in a photo in the Remsen. All that time, we thought he was a five-eighths horse, but he wasn’t losing ground at the end going a mile against good horses. He was out of sorts that day, too. He’d never been in any trouble here, but he was half-wacky in the paddock.”

Baker also entered Bear’s Cowboy, who wound up third in an allowance route here Nov. 16.

Coltimus Prime and Man Cave were cross-entered in the Display and Saturday’s restricted Kingarvie Stakes.

Trainer Mark Casse entered the recent maiden winner Downey Gap and Danzig Storm, a maiden who was supplemented for $2,500.