WOODBINE
RACETRACK

12/31/2012

                     New Year’s Eve matinee “selections” by Wilbur Woodbine

Race  1

#6 Instant Thrill—made
the final of the Valedictory series, raced on Boxing Day.  He was over a 70-1 shot in that, and raced
like one.  These will be easier, and it
would be fitting that team Moreau/Filion win this after the year they’ve had,
that ends today.       

#5 Espen De Vie—Raced
at Western Fair on Boxing Day against the Preferred group.  He was overmatched there, but shouldn’t have
nearly as much issue with these.  He goes
for his 10^th 2012 score in his 29^th trip to post for team
Oreilly/Zeron.  Contends.    

#3 Machs Beach Boy—is
trackman Middleton’s m/l favourite.  He
too sees class relief here.  He looks to
possess a good deal of speed, but Wilbur has trouble looking past the paltry
.165 UDR that pilot Ouellette sports.
Seems his best days are behind him.

#5 Remorse Code—is
yet another seeking class relief here.
Moiseyev, who has the call again today, drove him on the lead for a time
in his Boxing Day start.  He came up
short in the stretch, and unless he was hiding something, gets a call for a
minor share.

Race  2

#1 Maradona—does
not fit the main conditions listed here, nw 1, or $8k LT.  He does get in on the alternate condition of
nw $1100 per start in 2012, but just barely.
Perhaps “the Greek” can serve up a winner for us here in the 2^nd
half of the early DD.

#2 Boysgotfever—is
0 for 10 LT, but has amassed a bankroll of $27k by getting checks in late
closers that carry higher purses than your average Maiden races.  His conditioner, Macri, sports a dismal .093
percentage, but this is an event he could win in.

#5 Faithful One—goes
post-ward for just the 3^rd time this year.  He only made 5 starts as a 3 y/o in 2011, so
his overall health has to be suspect.  He
cut a fast 1/2 on Boxing Day at Georgian before stumbling home in crawl of a
last ¼ in 32.2.  Iffy.

#3 Shark Fantasy—made
his 1^st career start on Boxing Day, and sat the back for most of the
mile.  He was given some rein by Paul
MacDonell past the ¾, and did make some ground in the stretch to finish 4^th.  Any improvement off that bodes well
here.

Race  3

#6 Delcrest Julian—was dogged in the Boxing
Day write-up by yours truly.  I said that
he had forgotten whatever made him so successful in 2011.  Well, his memory returned, and he posted a
nice score to win by a head for team Moreau/Filion. Doubles up.

#5 Watkins—raced well in the Preferred
event on Boxing Day, a close-up 3^rd versus some pretty good
trotters.  He is Moreau’s other entry in
here, but loses pilot Filion to the one listed above.  That certainly entered the thought process in
the ratings here.

#4 Bax of Life—battled
along near or on top for most of the mile against the Preferred group on the
day after Christmas.  She gave it up
late, having used 2 or more moves prior to the stretch run.  Maybe Randy will work out a less taxing
journey in here.

#7 Zeus Lightning—got
a 4^th place check in the Preferred, mentioned twice above
already.  Christopherou gets the call to
steer once again from conditioner Charlton, who sends out 13% winners.  A win would send him over $100k in 2012.  He’ll be short.

Race  4

#8 Strawberry Wine—sports
just one victory in her 17 trips to post in the year that ends tonight.  But, she has 5 runner-ups and 5 shows on her
resume, and missed by just a head this past Wednesday.  Trackman Middleton likes her, and so does
Wilbur.

#5 Cracker Zack—raced
in the same event as the one listed above for breeder, owner, trainer, and
driver Carman Hie.  He scooted up to the
lead in the 1^st quarter, took a shuffle, and then rallied two
positions in the stretch to get 4^th money.  Use.

#2 The Only One—is
an altered 3 y/o son of Kadabra, who looks for his 3^rd score in 17
trips to post today.  He took his best
mark in his last start here on 12/20 over a surface rated “good”.  His connections of Waples/Moore look for him
to double-up here.

#9 Pentedatillo—has
made $35k this year while finding the winners enclosure just once in 29
tries.  But, he has 6 places, and 4 shows
in there as well.  When looking for one
to complete the exotics, I pondered a while before settling on him as 4^th
mention.       

 

Race  5

 

#1 Pop Cop—cruised
to a pretty easy score on Boxing Day for his pilot, Phil Hudon, who returns
today.  The son of Bettors Delight was a
late blooming 3 y/o who has finished not worse than 2^nd in his
previous 4 trips at Woodbine.  Doubles up
here.

#8 Docs Hoss—is
a 4 y/o altered son of Cams Eclipse who nearly missed the entire 2012 campaign,
making his 1^st start on 12/17, followed up by his 2^nd on
Boxing Day.  Wilbur senses something
about this animal that says he could have some go.

#2 Annuity—scored
a pretty easy win on 12/26 for the team of Bishop/Saftic, who send him out
looking for a 2^nd straight score here on the final day of 2012.  Stays in the same class as he’s been racing
in, and should make a good account for himself here. ^ 

#3 Doowrah Omelet—cut
a blistering half in the Valedictory final before being overtaken by JJ Shark,
and everyone else for that matter, by the end of the mile.  Conditioner Moreau gets his preferred
partner, Filion, back today after the debacle with Oliver.

Race  6

#6 Rehab Mountain—gets
the tepid call here in a group of fairly non-descript diagonal gaiters.  He likes to race on the lead, and that may
well be all it takes to get the lion’s share of this purse.  Trainer Cirasuola sports a .396 average, with
over 26% winners.

#1 Rolands Seehorse—makes
the trip east from Sports Creek Raceway in Michigan.  He’s raced fairly consistently there going
5-6-5 in 33 starts.  His race times
should be largely ignored, as that is a pretty slow racing surface.  The rail post draw will help.

#2 Perfect Vacation—raced
just last Friday at Flamboro, finishing 3^rd as the 95 cent
favourite.  The line will be announced
prior to the race today, as it was too recent to make the printed program, made
available free by WEG.  We players like
free programs.

#5 Guilford—goes
post-ward today for the 42^nd time in 2012.  He’s banked $89k for his connections by
answering the bell so many times.  He
bounced in his most recent effort on 12/21 here, but if he minds his manners,
can get a piece of the action here.

Race  7

#2 Sweet Talkin
Satin—was 3 for 4 racing at Mohawk in the late
summer.  He jumped it off in a qualifier
at western Fair on 12/14, then re-qualified here on 12/20 earning an easy 6
length score, the last panel in 26.2
Rick the Whip steered then, and does here.

#4 BJ’s Guy—raced
in both elimination legs of the Valedictory series, but failed to advance to
the final.  That competition was certainly
much tougher than the likes he’ll face today.
The 3 y/o gelded son of Ohio sire Towner’s Big Guy could wire
these.

#9 Johnny Prine
Tyme—is 3 of 5 in the win column this year,
with a 3^rd place finish as well.
He raced a decent 3^rd to Pop Cop on Boxing Day.  Jamieson drove him in his last 2 starts here
at Woodbine, but was lured off for the one listed above.  Filion steers.

#6 DJ Lance—gets
the call here to complete the superfecta.
The talented young Jug winning reinsman, Scott Zeron has the call again
today, as he’s had since this animal returned to the racing wars just this
month, having been idle since last April.
Could.

Race  8

#4 Rocinante—stays
in the same class he’s been racing in since the $25k claim by Pereira for Gasparro
last month.  He sports the races fastest
win time in 2012, at 1:51.2, in addition to being the leading money earner in
the field this year as well.  Fits.

#7 Fantaddy—makes
his 3^rd start back after being on the shelf since April.  As a 3 y/o he captured purses exceeding
$166k, and took a mark of 1:49. at Mohawk.
.321 conditioner O’Sullivan has tabbed the crafty Saftic to do the
driving chores for him here.

#5 Overcard—goes
post-ward for the 33^rd time this year, looking for just his 4^th
victory.  He has raced in pretty much the
same class as today’s event for the past 7 starts, without a win, albeit
getting several checks for the minor positions.
Same thing here.

#6 Manchester
Hanover—rounds out the ratings in this superfecta
event.  Phil Hudon sits the bike for
conditioner Pat once again.  He has made
just 1 trip to the winners circle all year, but has grabbed 3^rd
place dough 7 times.  Looking for around
the same.

Race  9

#5 E W Fisher—sat
the back all the way around for what was simply a tour of the facilities on
Bixing Day.  He has raced against better
trotters than what we see here many times prior.  The thinking is that Zeron will put him in
the race today and score.

#1 Bruce the Brave—also
failed to leave the gate in his last, which was the same race the one listed
above was in.  He did manage some late
trot to capture 4^th place cash, and with the rail today, Waples
would be remiss to not find a better position.

#3 Canbec Fridolin—has
found his way to victory 8 times in 35 tries already this year, and needs only
the 3^rd place money I’m projecting here to ease over the $100k point
in earnings.  He’s most generally a
steady sort, and seems to fit well with this kind.

#7
Guiltywithanexcuse—rises up in class for team
Moreau/Filion after scoring a win on 12/22.
He’s another that could vault his earnings in excess of $100k with a win
here today.  I’m thinking that goal to be
a bit lofty, and think he’ll compete for minor spoils.

Race 10

#6 Kennairn
Buckwheat—was touted as a win prospect on Boxing Day
by Wilbur, and was a disappointment.
Being sent off the post-time favourite did nothing to inspire an
aggressive steer by his pilot Saftic, who returns here.  Let’s see some better effort.

#2 SF Terrific
Kisser—wound up 2^nd in the same race
as the one listed above on the day after Christmas.  The group then was about as un-inspired as
this one appears to be.  Not exactly the
best animals on the grounds.  He should
get a good share here.

#8 Incognito—was
3^rd in the event mentioned twice above last Wednesday.  He was saddled with the 8 post then, and is
stuck with the same today.  Scotty gunned
him out early then, and will likely use the same tactics here to land him a
good journey.

#7 St Pete Star—gets
the final analysis of today’s card here in the daytime nightcap.  Jamieson crafted a nice come from behind
effort on 12/20 to score the win, when the last half was timed in a paltry
58.4.  He’ll need similar luck to get any
large share today.