Woodbine: Distance works in favor of Khulna

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Khulna will move out to what should be an ideal distance for him in Thursday’s fifth race, an Ontario-sired maiden special, which is scheduled for 1 1/16 miles on the turf.

Khulna made all four of his starts in sprints for Reade Baker, Woodbine’s second-leading trainer. Khulna launched his season in June by running fifth in a fairly quick maiden special on the Polytrack. Khulna was a stalking third behind Valid’s Best and future maiden special winner Rob the Cradle on the grass July 15. Valid’s Best finished third in the restricted Vice Regent Stakes.

Khulna went back to the Polytrack for his most recent race, and wound up second after breaking a little slowly.

Khulna is by Kentucky Derby runner-up Tejano Run, and out of a mare by Distant View, a pedigree that is stamina-oriented. Leading rider Luis Contreras has the mount.

Trainer Ralph Biamonte, who swept both 2-year-old stakes on Monday, sends out Corbelli, who’s also experimenting over a middle distance. Corbelli was ineffective as a front-runner in his first two outings, but he rallied for fourth in his two most recent races, including one on the grass.

Omar Moreno retains the mount on Corbelli, a son of speed sire Old Forester and an Unbridled’s Song mare.

Final Clearance met open maiden special company over seven furlongs on the grass July 29, and finished fourth at 15-1 in that contest. The winner came back to run third in an allowance, and the third horse subsequently toppled $32,000 maidens.

Final Clearance was second in a one-mile turf event last summer, but his best turf races have come in sprints. Steve Bahen will ride him for trainer Bob Tiller, a combination that clicked with 76-1 shot Casa Loma last Saturday.

Sharons Prince had an extremely wide trip when he was a non-threatening fifth in a recent Polytrack route. The longtime maiden got away slowly before closing for fourth in a seven-furlong maiden special on the grass in his next-to-last start, which came on the heels of a runner-up placing behind a sharp Nanaimo.

Also-eligibles Park Place and Opening Meet should both be regarded as serious contenders if they draw in.

Park Place lost his last two races by a nose, including one-mile grass route in which Opening Meet wound up third. Opening Meet is equally adept on either surface, while Park Place prefers the Polytrack.