Post 1 gives Big Band Luzziann edge

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Friday’s eight-race card at Woodbine is populated by five Ontario-sired events, which all have a $40,000 claiming option for non-Ontario-sired runners.

Strega is the lone entrant without a claiming tag in the opener, a 1 1/16-mile inner turf route for nonwinners of three. She benefited from an inside bias when beating nonwinnersof-two 3-year-old fillies in her season opener on the Tapeta. Her only grass race was a dull fifth in the Victorian Queen, an Ontario-sired stakes.

With the rail in lane 3, Big Band Luzziann could take some catching in her third appearance of the meet and first grass start this year. She won over infield courses at Gulfstream and Indiana last year.

The fast-working Ivan Dalos-owned debuters Boss Holiday and Legs Like Gizmo look live in the third race, a 4 1/2-furlong maiden dash for 2-year-olds.

Boss Holiday is by Ami’s Holiday, whose 2-year-old progeny are 0 for 17 at first asking, but his full brother Bossy Holiday won second time out at 2 on the Tapeta. Legs Like Gizmo is by freshman sire Amis Gizmo, who was unbeaten in four stakes starts at 2 and took Grade 3 Ontario Derby and Prince of Wales Stakes at 3.

Poulin in O T, who posted a fast half-mile gate work in 47.80 seconds on June 12, is a halfbrother to the precocious stakes winner Seffeara.

First-time gelding Trejo and Sooner Lunar are both dropping out of open maiden-special company.

The fourth race, a 6 1/2-furlong Tapeta sprint for nonwinners of two, contains enough speed to set the table for Meet the Soprano. Unraced since a fast-closing second in a key race Nov. 21, Meet the Soprano hit the board in two Ontario-sired turf stakes for 3-year-old fillies last year, the Georgian Bay and Thunder Bay.

Hatmaker Holiday has worked nicely since finishing a close third in her season opener. She could link up on the lead with Mitzi, who was disqualified from first to second for interference in a turf event three weeks ago.

Bohemian Boy, Reliability, and Meyer are the protagonists in the seventh race, a 1 1/16mile inner turf tilt for nonwinners of three.

Bohemian Boy could shake loose on the lead and never look back in the manner of his victory in a $40,000 starter allowance over Gulfstream’s Tapeta in January. He’s leaving $50,000 conditioned-claiming company at Churchill.

Reliability finished second for the seventh time in his June 3 seasonal bow going long on the Tapeta. He left a flailing Meyer back in sixth then when they were both bet down to 5-2. Meyer prefers the grass, over which he wound up second in the 2020 Breeders’ Stakes.

Commander Joe and Gozilla stick out on Beyer Speed Figures in the nightcap, a 6 1/2-furlong Tapeta contest for nonwinners of two.