ANALYSIS

BEST BET: RACE 2, WILEY O’RIELLY

FIRST RACE

STRIKE IT ROYAL gave way grudgingly after prevailing in a front-end battle when second for the second straight time Oct. 14. The blinkers come off for her third start. DYNATOWN pressed a quick pace before fading when going long on the Tapeta in her latest. She’s eligible to run big on the turnback. ONE FOR NICKI rallied for third behind the top choice in her best effort thus far Oct. 14.

SECOND RACE

WILEY O’RIELLY rallied for second in each of his last two outings, most recently behind Dun Drum, who subsequently ran second in the Frost King Stakes (64 Beyer). OMI’S BOY closed for third going five-eighths in his $32K opener, from which the runner-up exited to graduate for $25K (61 Beyer). CHEEK TO CHEEK landed on the edges in all three of his excursions.

THIRD RACE

RED HOT KITTEN acted up in the gate before ending up third after a three-wide stalking trip over an inside-biased Tapeta surface following a break Oct. 7. The daughter of leading sire Kitten’s Joy is bred for the grass on both sides of her pedigree. LIONESSA is by the high-percentage grass sire Animal Kingdom, and her dam won on the lawn. After a tardy start, she raced wide throughout over an inside-favoring main track when fifth in her last outing. OCEANS OF LOVE encountered traffic problems before closing for third in a shorter turf tilt Oct. 21. COURT RETURN beat out the latter for second then in her much-improved second start.

FOURTH RACE

My MOKA LATTE is descending from N1X company to a much easier spot in this $20K conditioned event, with Simon Husbands taking over. DILLY DALLY DARBY placed in all three of her starts at this level, which included a demotion from first to second by disqualification. DESERT POEM rallied inside to just miss in a turf sprint at this class two weeks ago.

FIFTH RACE

ENGLISH CLASSIC has been a minor player vs. maiden special and $40K company this year. The drop to $20K is obviously significant, with journeyman Boulanger taking over. SERENGETI CAT is also halving in value. The son of Kitten’s Joy is stretching out from seven-eighths to a mile in his second start with Lasix, and first with the leading bug Kimura aboard. REAL DUDE is another dropper from $40K who could have a say in the outcome. Toss STOP THE PARADE in the super.

SIXTH RACE

AMI’S LINK is plunging from maiden special to $25K, while changing surfaces from turf to the Tapeta, and moving out from seven-eighths to a route. The Ivan Dalos-owned bay is bred to run long, and should wake up with Kimura retaining the mount. KITTEN’S SHADOW is sent out by connections who have fared well with debuting offspring of Kitten’s Joy in routes. Da Silva was named on the Ramsey homebred. PRINCESS MORO is dropping to a new low, as is PEUT ETRE.

SEVENTH RACE

CARMENOOTZ posted mixed results in a series of turf routes, after graduating in a grass sprint second-time out July 21. The son of leading Ontario sire Silent Name is made-to-order for this sevenfurlong OS allowance/$40K claimer. FAST NEGOTIATIONS took the long way home while closing for third in a shorter sprint at this level Oct. 14. FRIT-

ZIE’S BOY is always mandatory for the lower rungs of the exotics. NEVAEH’S DREAM would be appealing if the proceedings are moved to the main track.

EIGHTH RACE

LINE OF VISION is unbeaten in two mile and a sixteenth starts on the Tapeta, which were both restricted stakes scores. The closer has a rabbit to chase here—stablemate Stormy Summer. SHE’S GOT FIRE finished a lapped-on third behind the top choice the last time she went long on the main track in the Aug. 5 Eternal Search Stakes. She’s coming off what should be a confidence-boosting allowance victory. BEAR PAW beat older Ontariosired rivals over this distance in the Sept. 30 Classy ‘N Smart Stakes, before failing to threaten in a turf experiment in the Carotene Stakes. SHE’S THE BERRIES would likely be competitive on a repeat of her victorious penultimate race in a twoturn OS allowance.

NINTH RACE

PRETTY TWO FACED was blocked behind rivals along the inside on the turn and through the stretch over an outside-favoring track in a similar $8K sprint Oct. 17. The win-shy veteran could end a drought with Johnson back after a one-race absence. MISS MANDATE figures to be a speed threat, in a field without much gas. ANOTHER GIRL came wide from off slow splits to win the aforementioned event, when Hernandez rode her for the first time.

TENTH RACE

FREITAG had been freshened since finishing fifth in a key contest at this level Sept. 9. The classy chestnut is the track-record holder over this course and distance, and he could spring an upset in this second-level optional claimer. MELMICH has failed to find the mark this year, while placing in a series of stakes. The millionaire fits snuggly here due to the clause in the conditions that allows for nonwinners in the past year to compete. BET ON MIKE set soft fractions en route to a daylight victory in his first venture around two turns against easier Oct. 12. Put him underneath in the tri and super, along with SURGICAL STRIKE.

ELEVENTH RACE

MO GEE led until the final jump last time in a NW2 OS allowance/$40K turf route. The son of Uncle Mo is a good fit in this N1X from a Beyer perspective. WHO’S GOT IT wound up second at this level Oct. 13 in his debut for McKnight, who has solid numbers second-time off the claim. ARMAMENT rallied from far off fast fractions for third behind the latter that day. PEPPERED was overmatched most recently in the G3 Ontario Derby, which came after a hanging second at this class.