Woodbine: One Big Gator has back-class going for him

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Wednesday night’s entire eight-race Woodbine card consists of low-level claimers, which makes for some perplexing handicapping puzzles, to say the least.

The sixth-race features some gritty older $16,000 runners, most notably One Big Gator, who should be favored in the 1 1/16-mile route.

One Big Gator finished 15th in the 2011 Queen’s Plate. He was subsequently competitive in Ontario-sired allowance company, but never notched his second win until he dropped to $12,500 last September.

One Big Gator registered his third victory against nonwinners-of-three Ontario-sired allowance stock second time out this year. He finished up the track in the restricted Steady Growth Stakes in June, but then ran two solid races for $20,000 in July, which included a three-length win, for which he got a career high 81 Beyer Figure. He had a wide journey most recently before tiring to finish seventh in a first-level allowance.

Patrick Husbands is back after a one-race absence Wednesday to ride One Big Gator, who’s trained by John Ross for Jam Jar Racing Stable.

Argentine Talisman defeated $20,000 opposition with a 75 Beyer last time in his first start for owner Gary McMaster and trainer Daryl Ezra. He was previously second after a seven-month layoff in a $12,500 sprint. Ezra has a 15 percent strike rate second time off the claim over the past five years, while yielding a small flat-bet profit.

Gerry Olguin retains the mount on Argentine Talisman, who was claimed for $50,000 twice earlier in his career.

Catch the Luck, a nicely bred 7-year-old by A.P. Indy, had a shoe problem in the paddock before he checked in third following a long layoff in a $20,000 starter allowance Aug. 11.

Catch the Luck took 1 of 7 starts last year, when he was trained by Marty Drexler. Kevin Attard conditions him this year for owner Frank Cirillo. Eurico Da Silva will ride him again.

Casual Dude had a productive 2011 campaign, during which he won 2 of 7 outings and $95,700. He was a distant fifth after a nine-month hiatus Aug. 10 in a $25,000 contest that contained subsequent longshot winners Itzhoweeroll and Octavo.

Stolonboy plunged from $32,000 to land a $12,500 event with a 70 Beyer Aug. 15. That was his first race under Tyler Pizarro, who’s 2 for 5 at the meet for Joe Walls, the trainer of Stolonboy.

Binks Forest was recently second to Stolonboy, and he was scooped up for $11,500 by trainer Mike Wright, who is 1 for 7 first time off the claim during the last five years.