Woodbine: Khulna goes for hot trainer

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Trainer Reade Baker, who celebrated a victory by Bear Tough Tiger in last Sunday’s Kennedy Road Stakes, sends out Khulna in Wednesday’s Woodbine feature, a seven-furlong Ontario-sired allowance.

Khulna capped his 2011 campaign with a fast (80 Beyer Speed Figure) score in a seven-furlong allowance for Ontario-sired nonwinners-of-two stock. He has made each of his four starts this year at Wednesday’s nonwinners-of-three level, races that were well spaced out.

Khulna dug in for second when he returned from a seven-month layoff in a 6 1/2-furlong turf tilt June 30. Five weeks later, he rallied for third in a seven-furlong turf sprint while earning his second straight 71 Beyer.

Khulna switched to the Polytrack on Sept. 8, but he failed to stay 1 1/16 miles then and wound up seventh behind some salty opposition. Most recently, he got back into his comfort zone traveling seven-eighths and dead-heated for third behind victorious Courtville, who came back to take a first-level allowance.

Khulna’s new rider, Patrick Husbands, is 2 for 3 at the meet aboard Baker-trained runners.

Seeley’s Bay defeated Khulna while checking in a distant second Oct 19, which came on the heels of an allowance triumph by disqualification.

Seeley’s Bay was bet down to 5-2 in a Nov. 11 allowance route, in which he made a prominent middle move before fading in the lane to finish eighth.

Journeyman Richard Dos Ramos will get a leg up from trainer Sam DiPasquale on Seeley’s Bay. He was aboard for all six of the gelding’s starts.

Drink Or Sink won two of his last three outings, which were spaced a long time apart. He graduated on the grass June 15, but didn’t see action again for two months, when he finished a non-threatening sixth in a Polytrack sprint.

Drink Or Sink cleared the first Ontario-sired allowance class with a strong wide rally in a fast-paced route Nov. 10. His trainer, Phil England, is 0 for 6 with turnbacks since the beginning of 2011. Gerry Olguin retains the mount on the 4-year-old.

Marked in Stone has run hot and cold this year while banking nearly $93,000 under the guidance of trainer Gail Cox. His last two races were subpar, but his new rider, Justin Stein, won the Grade 3 Kennedy Road on Bear Tough Tiger.

Wonder Phil is winless in eight appearances at the meet, but he might be ready to peak in his third race off the bench.

King City, who placed in two stakes last fall, captured an Ontario-sired allowance by a head with a 65 Beyer on Nov. 4.