Woodbine: Attard putting the promising Maritimer out for a mile on grass

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – The promising Maritimer will travel a mile and move over to the grass in Friday’s intriguing Woodbine feature for 2-year-olds, the $89,400 allowance prep for the Grade 3 Summer Stakes on Sept. 17.

Maritimer came wide from mid-pack to land his July 10 debut in a six-furlong maiden special, from which the runner-up exited to graduate impressively. He reappeared three weeks later in the six-furlong Vandal Stakes, a race that came down to him and his stablemate, Buongiorno Johnny, who prevailed by a head with a Beyer Speed Figure of 72.

“I wasn’t surprised with the way they ran for us,” said Sid Attard, who trained the top two Vandal finishers. “We [preferred] ‘Johnny’, because of the distance. Maritimer is going to be a nice horse when he goes long.”

Maritimer is by the successful turf sire Stormy Atlantic. His dam, Highland Mood, was unbeaten in four starts, which included two scores in restricted turf stakes at Woodbine.

Leading rider Luis Contreras has the call on Maritimer, who is owned by Norseman Racing Stable.

Hard Not to Like, the lone filly in the eight-horse field, broke slowly before closing from fifth to notch her recent debut in a six-furlong maiden special on the grass. She is trained by Gail Cox, who also entered Malibu Tide, a closing third-place finisher in his lone appearance.

Salvatore G defeated Malibu Tide while graduating at 39-1 in his first grass attempt July 31. The sixth and ninth horses from that six-furlong maiden event have both come back to score.

Making Amends won his maiden at first asking in the restricted Clarendon Stakes July 3, but he could manage only third as the favorite in the Vandal. A son of Repent trained by Mark Casse, he is bred to run long, but he doesn’t possess much turf breeding. On Aug. 14, however, he breezed five-eighths around the cones on the turf training course in 58.80 seconds, which was the fastest of 32 works at the distance.

Trainer Nick Gonzalez sends out the entry of Got You Covered and Party Boy. Both are experimenting on the grass, and one of them will likely be the pacemaker.

Got You Covered has worked quickly since his victory in a $20,000 maiden-claiming dash July 29. Party Boy wired $25,000 maidens convincingly in a slow 5 1/2-furlong clocking July 14.

Completing the field is Gin Joint, who failed to keep up in two Polytrack stakes.