ANALYSIS

BEST BET: RACE 9, THUNDER RIDE

FIRST RACE

CORKER is plunging to the lower ranks on the Tapeta following a runner-up placing vs. $32K maidens in her local bow on the grass. This barn has been on a roll of late, and Hernandez retains the mount here with blinkers added to her equipment. GOSSIP ISLE is also getting some class relief, and has worked decently leading up to this engagement. BEAUFILS rode an outside bias to an improved second in a route at this price three weeks ago.

SECOND RACE

RED AT LAST has been knocking the door at this $10K B class. He can break through this time under Da Silva, who’s 3 for 6 at the meet for Ensom. FORESTER’S FORUM is dropping back down to the lower conditioned ranks off a fade job on the grass. ZACK RIDGE ROAD found dirt route stakes at Assiniboia too far for him in his last two outings. Note that he beat $20K B types going short on the Tapeta in his last local outing in May.

THIRD RACE

SPLIT MY PANTS lacked room in the stretch when a frustrated sixth in his third start at the meet a month ago. He beat easier over good ground last fall, and should be a factor with leading rider Da Silva back aboard after a one-race absence. SILENT POET should be favored off a prominent second at this level, in this his first race with Lasix. Throw out his poor penultimate performance on a sweltering day in the Queen’s Plate. GASCONADE was disqualified from his June 16 score for $20K due to a positive test. He worked nicely from the gate last weekend, and might not be out of his league with these.

FOURTH RACE

JOSIE’S RIDDLE earned the highest last-out Beyer in this field by a large margin when second in a seven-furlong sprint for $10K NW2 stock. Note that he graduated going long on the Tapeta last fall. ARGYBARGY figures to be the controlling speed off his front-running second behind the favorite traveling nine furlongs Aug. 3. FINE GRIT is stretching back out to the distance over which he graduated July 20.

FIFTH RACE

First-timer FALCON’S VIEW is bred to be precocious. The February foal by leading Ontario freshman sire Souper Speedy is out of a juvenile stakes winner, who’s produced a debut winner at 2. AVALON fought for the lead before tiring at first asking in a pretty good maiden special Aug. 11. KEWANNE made up some ground to end up second in a slow-paced dash at this $32K level when debuting Aug. 4. PRINCESS BRIE is descending from the same maiden special as AVALON.

SIXTH RACE

MY GAL BETTY romped in her debut, and was disqualified from first for interference in the My Dear Stakes, which was also on the Tapeta. She’s worked well leading up to inaugural running of this 100-grander on the grass, and is bred for the turf on both sides of her pedigree. BOLD SCRIPT was blocked in the lane before getting up in the last jump to take her opener while beating LADY AZALEA, who subsequently won another sixfurlong maiden special on the grass. My Dear winner STIFLING is by the dirt sire Flatter, but her dam found the mark on the Arlington green.

SEVENTH RACE

BOLD HOPE is dropping off a wide third for $25K to $16K for his second race after an eight-month absence. Three of his four wins came over six furlongs, and second-leading rider Hernandez is sticking with him. REIMAGINED came wide from

fifth to beat $10K rivals by four lengths in a recent five-furlong dash, which was his third consecutive win. After coming up empty in an N1X turf tilt,

SPEIGHTSTOWN TIME is plunging back down to the price at which he scored at 8-1 two starts ago.

EIGHTH RACE

MR HAVERCAMP comes off a respectable fourth in a tough $150K stakes at Belmont where he was beaten just two lengths by Voodoo Song, who returned to double up in the G1 Fourstardave at Saratoga. Seven-eighths on turf with some give to it should be suitable for the gifted gelding. LA SARDANE won three in a row in the spring, all against females, including the G3 Intercontinental over seven furlongs at Belmont. She worked at Saratoga during her vacation while getting ready for this prep for the Woodbine Mile, and might not be cranked right up by trainer Neil Drysdale, who has won the WO Mile thrice. WHITE FLAG is another Saratoga shipper in solid form. The Clement charge rallied for third over soft ground the only time he ran here in the G2 Nearctic in October. HOLDING GOLD is a must-use underneath in the exotics.

NINTH RACE

THUNDER RIDE closed for second on a speedfavoring track in a recent N1X won by the hardknocking Glacier, who subsequently finished a game second in a second-level optional claimer. That was his first outing in seven months, and it should set him up beautifully for this longer N1X. NOT SO QUIET won both of his starts in frontrunning fashion against Ontario-sired rivals, by a combined total of nearly 11 lengths, with an average Beyer of 84. He figures to make most or all of the running. WALKABOUT CREEK disappointed in his first try against winners when fourth behind the top pick July 29. Don’t be surprised if he runs better here in his second try with Lasix.

TENTH RACE

KHAWLAH folded in the final furlong after leading the way in a longer sprint at this $10K NW2 class Aug. 10. He was previously in decent form, and could get back on track with the top bug Kimura taking over. KALLAN could wake up in his first start with Lasix, while being reunited with apprentice Fukumoto. Use SLOVENIA and OCULIST on the bottom of intra-race wagers.