Woodbine meet opens with allowance feature on turf

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – The popularity of turf racing at Woodbine is on display in Saturday’s opening-day feature, the ninth on a good 11-race program that begins at 1:20 p.m.

The second-level allowance was used at the alternate conditions of 7 1/2 furlongs on the inner turf, instead of on the main track. It went with nine fillies and mares, including 2-1 morning-line favorite Another Time, who’s returning from a nine-month layoff.

Another Time won an open allowance, beating Souper Escape over this course and distance off a three-month break here last spring. Three weeks later on June 27, she lost a heartbreaker after carving out the fractions in the Grade 2 Nassau going a mile on the main course.

Another Time was third and fourth in two subsequent graded stakes on the Tapeta before going back to the grass Sept. 12, when she came up empty after leading the way in the Grade 2 Canadian.

“She wasn’t right after the Canadian and we gave her all the time she needed,” said trainer Barbara Minshall. “We’re back on track. She’s ready.”

Minshall said Another Time wintered in South Carolina before shipping to Woodbine. When the meet was postponed, Another Time was shipped to Keeneland for a race that failed to fill, and then made her way back to Woodbine. David Moran will ride the Munnings mare for Hoolie Racing Stable.

Trainer Josie Carroll entered the import Fiduciary, a Juddmonte Farms-bred 4-year-old owned by Mark Dodson. Fiduciary was an allowance winner in France, where she made all six of her starts.

Luis Contreras has the mount on Fiduciary, who’s adding Lasix after posting some solid works on the Tapeta. Her five-eighths breeze in 59 on May 31 was the fastest of 30 drills at the distance.

Trainer Mark Casse sends out the winter-raced runners Roman d’Oro and Oceans of Love.

Turf sprint expert Roman d’Oro was competitive in second-level allowances early in the Gulfstream Championship meet. She was a wide 10th in her last race in the Feb. 24 Lightning City Stakes at Tampa. Rafael Hernandez has the mount on the daughter of Medaglia d’Oro, who’s questionable around two turns.

Oceans of Love has been idle since a front-running fifth in a second-level allowance route at Gulfstream Jan. 15. The 5-year-old has been campaigned sporadically since 2019, during which Patrick Husbands rode her in two consecutive allowance victories.

Afleet Katherine won her first two starts going seven-eighths on the grass last July. She went on to run second in both the Woodbine Oaks and Bison City Stakes on the Tapeta, before tiring in the Wonder Where Stakes going about 1 1/4 miles on the main turf.