In addition to the big Saturday cards at Saratoga and Del Mar, Woodbine Racetrack also has a strong 11-race card that includes three graded stakes events over the back part of the slate. To help add value to the late Pick 4, Xpressbet and 1/ST BET have decided to sweeten the pot with a $2500 Hit & Split. Most of you know how this promotion goes by now, but for those new to the party just head on over to the promotions page, click on the register button, and then automatically receive your share if you are able to connect the dots. Check out the landing page for more details. Here is how I will approach the sequence that kicks off at 4:50 pm ET and includes all three stakes.


Grade Descriptions: Grade A=Highest degree of confidence; Grade B=Solid Play. Grade C=Least preferred or pass; Grade X=probable winner but likely at odds too short to play.

Race 8: Ontario Colleen (G3)
Grade: B-
Main Ticket: 2 Bandigara
Backups: None

Forecast: #5 Happy Destination might be loose on the lead in this one-mile event for 3YO fillies over the grass, but trusting her to get the distance is impossible for yours truly. Her two runs have come in sprints and she is bred on both sides to prefer one-turn races, which makes #2 Bandigara the clear one to beat. The British-bred showed a strong turn of foot in her first start in the States winning the Penn Oaks in late May. She has been freshened up by Miguel Clement and finds a favorable spot for her graded stakes debut. She should run this group down late under jockey Sahin Civaci.


Race 9: Hendrie (G3)
Grade: C+
Main Ticket: 6 Reagan’s Flame
Backups: None

Forecast: The lone one-turn race within the sequence is conducted at 6.5-furlongs over the all-weather where #6 Reagan’s Flame looks tough to beat. The daughter of Flameaway went two-turns on the turf last time out and failed to make an impression in the Royal North (G3), but prior to that put in a huge run in her first sprint over the synthetic surface. She was shuffled back a bit before they turned for home and still cruised by the field of rivals at odds of 2-1. I expect a similar performance in this year’s Hendrie.


Race 10: Trillium (G3)
Grade: B-
Main Ticket: 1 Lupa; 2 Hurricane Clair; 7 Design
Backups: None

Forecast: I will attempt to find value within the late Pick 4 by fading 9-5-ML favorite #4 Rashimi despite the class drop for Jonathan Thomas. She certainly is more than capable if she can translate her turf form to the synthetic, but that is far from a given making her tough to trust. I will use a few, including last out winner #1 Lupa who draws inside again and could be tough to get by if left along on the lead again. #2 Hurricane Clair is also a must use. The Silent Name mare draws inside in hopes of making it two in a row for trainer Michael Wright Jr.


Race 11:
Grade: B-
Main Ticket: 4 Miss Brit
Backups: #1 Abdul

Forecast: Trainer Kevin Attard brings a strong 1-2-punch into this MSW at one-mile with 5-2-ML favorite #7 Afleet Flatter and second choice #6 Dyna, but they both have had plenty of chances to earn that first career win. I prefer the more lightly-raced #4 Miss Brit. The daughter of Tom’s d’Etat is out of a Rahy mare that is filled with turf routing influence. The Ontario-bred goes two sprints to a route after a runner-up effort going 7-furlongs over the all-weather on June 27. She is a solid gamble against this bunch at her 6-1-ML offering. #1 Abdul also has raced twice with two sprints, but there was a near year layoff between the first two starts. The inside draw and pedigree give her a chance to move forward quite a bit as well in her first turf route.