Woodbine: Hawk Over Heath can bounce right back

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Woodbine swings into its full five-day-a-week schedule with the first Thursday card of the season set to begin at 2 p.m.

The eight-race program has attracted 66 entrants and includes two Ontario-sired allowance races and two straight maiden races, all for 3-year-olds and upward.

A restricted allowance for nonwinners of three will go as the fourth race, and seven geldings will compete for a $62,300 purse at 6 1/2 furlongs.

Hawk Over Heath, a 4-year-old trained by Mike DePaulo, would appear to have the most upside in the field but is coming off a disappointing eighth-place finish in the same classification on April 30.

"He might have just bounced a bit," said DePaulo, who had sent out Hawk Over Heath to an impressive first-level allowance score at five furlongs in his seasonal debut three weeks earlier.

"He had a little bit of a shin, too, but that's under control now. He's in good order."

Justin Stein retains the mount on Hawk Over Heath, whose only start before this season yielded an impressive victory at seven furlongs here last fall.

Lonesome Cherokee and Do You Believe It, both making their second appearances of the season off decent efforts in their seasonal debuts, should furnish the main opposition.
The afternoon's largest field will be in the $58,600 eighth race, a restricted first-level allowance for fillies and mares that is scheduled for 1 1/16 miles on turf and attracted 12 entrants.

Flashing Honor, a 4-year-old trained by Tino Attard, is the only member of the field with a turf win, as she graduated impressively over 1 1/8 miles here last October.
Quincy Welch, who rode Flashing Honor to finish in a dead heat for second in her 1 1/16-mile seasonal debut on May 13, will be back in the irons.

A 6 1/2-furlong maiden race worth $67,100 is the third on the card, and Blackstone Bay should be favored in the field of six as he starts under leading rider Luis Contreras for leading trainer Mark Casse.

There are other possibilities, however, in the in-form Harbor Front and Jolson and the well-bred first-timer Unforgettable Fu.

Opening the program will be another $67,100 maiden race for fillies and mares, in which Trip Mom is the "form" horse off her second-place finish over five furlongs in her seasonal bow here April 3.

The field of six also includes Wonderfully, a first-timer who goes for the red-hot combo of Casse and rider Patrick Husbands.