Woodbine: Trend looks to rebound in King Edward

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Trainer Mark Frostad is looking to have a big day Sunday at Woodbine, when he runs Woodbine Oaks winner Irish Mission in the Queen’s Plate, and Trend in the Grade 2 King Edward Stakes.

Trend should be among the favorites in the King Edward, a one-mile grass event worth $250,000.

It took Trend 10 starts to win his maiden, and he finally graduated traveling 1 1/16 miles here last September. He went on to win a first-level allowance in January at Gulfstream, where he finished second in back-to-back Grade 3 stakes in March.

“He always showed that he had some talent,” Frostad said. “He’s always run well, but he never really tuned in until late. Or, it could be that he just really likes Gulfstream, where all his best races have been. It’s a tight, two-turn track.”[bc_video_id:255309:]

Trend comes off a lackluster race in the Grade 2 Dixie at Pimlico, a performance which left Frostad scratching his head.

[Watch Woodbine’s Queen’s Plate card live]

“He took a backward step,” said Frostad. “There was really no reason for that, so we’ll have to see how he runs here. He’s certainly been training well.”

Big Band Sound should be in the hunt off a wide, closing second over a speed-conducive course in the Grade 2 Connaught Cup, a seven-furlong turf stakes. He was previously second to reigning Canadian champion sprinter Essence Hit Man in two consecutive stakes on Polytrack, the Jacques Cartier and Grade 3 Vigil.

“He’s run nothing but great races this year,” said trainer Danny Vella. “He just keeps getting better. His last work was maybe his best work ever. I think the extra distance might help him.”

Vella said the decision to run in the King Edward, as opposed to Sunday’s six-furlong Highander Stakes, wasn’t too difficult.

“Having those two races side-by-side is a bit tricky, but we’ve always felt that a one-turn mile is probably his best trip,” Vella explained. “If the King Eddie had been over-run numbers-wise, and with quality, then we might have changed our minds.”

Havelock, based at Churchill with trainer Darrin Miller, is exiting a neck victory going a mile around one turn on Arlington’s Polytrack in the Grade 3 Hanshin Stakes. Havelock prevailed by a head over Riding the River in his lone local outing going seven furlongs in the Grade 2 Play the King Stakes last August.

Hollinger, Canada’s champion 2-year-old in 2009, had a useful winter campaign in Florida before running well in his two most races, here and at Keeneland.

“He ran some nice races this winter,” said trainer Roger Attfield. “He was second to Get Stormy in a Grade 1 at Gulfstream. A mile is a good fit for him.”