Woodbine: Impressive debut winner Postpone returns in allowance feature

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Owner/trainer Michael Pino was taking an edge when he ran Postpone with a $16,000 claiming tag first-time out. Postpone prevailed with authority then, and should be well-backed when he reappears in Thursday’s Woodbine feature, a $47,400 allowance for nonwinners-of-two.

Postpone benefited from an outside bias in his May 14 debut, during which he mounted an eye-catching move on the turn, before cruising to a 4 1/2-length tally. His time for the five furlongs, 57.49 seconds, was good for a 78 Beyer Figure, and the third-place finisher from that dash came right back to graduate for $16,000 with a 62 Beyer.

Postpone will lengthen out to seven furlongs on Thursday. Leading rider Luis Contreras retains the mount on Postpone, a half-brother to stakes winner Lake Secret.

Top Pit Boss is getting some class relief, and should be dangerous with Patrick Husbands taking over in the saddle.

Top Pit Boss had a productive 2-year-old campaign last year for trainer Audre Cappuccitti. After winning his maiden on the grass, he ran second in the seven-furlong Simcoe Stakes for graduates of local yearling sales. He capped his season in October by finishing a close fourth in the Grade 3 Grey Stakes.

Top Pit Boss ran flat following a winter vacation in the Woodstock Stakes, and is adding blinkers off a fifth-place finish in a first-level allowance.

Colwood won his $25,000 debut in November, before ending up fifth in a difficult allowance in early December. He nearly got the job done at this B-level allowance level May 15, when he was beaten a neck after a four-wide stalking trip.

Emma Wilson will ride Colwood for trainer Reade Baker. They are a combined 5 for 29 at the meet.

Maryland shipper Gresham Palace has made all five of his starts on the grass. He won a $35,000 maiden claimer over nine furlongs in May 2010 at Belmont, and had been sidelined for 11 months when he got dusted April 29 in an allowance sprint at Pimlico. He stretched out to a route most recently in another Pimlico allowance, in which he finished a troubled fifth.

The other three entrants, Thornwood Road, Awesome Eclipse, and Ascending Son, are all starting for the first time this year.

Thornwood Road peaked in the fall of 2009, when he won his maiden around two turns with a 76 Beyer. This will be his first outing in 13 months.