Salty Breeze set to fire her best shot

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – There is no stakes race on Saturday’s terrific 10-race Woodbine card, which has four turf events and an Ontariosired maiden special weight dash with 10 unraced 2-year-old fillies.

The headliner, a 6 1/2-furlong second-level optional claimer on the grass, could belong to Salty Breeze, who is looking for her first victory since she won an entry-level allowance here last spring.

Salty Breeze went to the sidelines after rallying to a twolength win in a seven-furlong allowance over the turf here in May 2016. She returned in February and struggled in three turf starts at Gulfstream and Keeneland but then got back on track on the Tapeta here May 21. After racing four wide in third on the backstretch, she made an outside bid over an inside-biased track to finish second behind the classy stakes winner Skylander Girl. She has since breezed five-eighths twice and looks to be coming around.

Seven other fillies and mares were entered in the feature, which is carded as race 8 and has a base purse of $62,300.

KEY CONTENDERS

Salty Breeze, by Stormy Atlantic Last 3 Beyers: 79-71-72

◗ Luis Contreras, who was aboard for the majority of her better performances, retains the mount for trainer Josie Carroll. They are 3 for 22 together at the meet, including a stakes victory.

Blossom d’Orange, by Public Purse

◗ A private purchase by Team Valor International, the Brazilian-bred has been idle since winning a Group 3 stakes in Uruguay with ease nearly a year ago. She has been working up a storm, including fiveeighths from the gate in a bullet 59.80 seconds May 26.

◗ Trainer Mark Casse is putting her on Lasix, and Patrick Husbands has the call.

Veaisha, by Wando Last 3 Beyers: 74-81-77

◗ Normally a front-runner, she wasn’t a factor after failing to contest the pace on the Tapeta in her season opener. Expect her to show more speed here on the surface over which she ran second behind a peaking She’s Explosive in an optional claimer last September.

Chiringuita, by Hard Spun Last 3 Beyers: 56-90-83

◗ She finished far up the course behind eventual Grade 1 winner Antonoe last time in a second-level allowance at Keeneland. Her form at Gulfstream before that was good, and she could rally for a minor award under hot turf rider Rafael Hernandez.

Sparkles’ Girl, by Society’s Chairman Last 3 Beyers: 74-78-80

◗ A stakes winner on Polytrack two years ago at 2, she won her season opener in an Ontario-sired allowance on the Tapeta before ending up fourth in the Ballade Stakes. Her grass form consists of back-to-back fourths in one-mile restricted stakes last summer.