Flippin facing class, distance tests

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – How good is Flippin? We’ll find out at Woodbine Thursday, when she puts her unbeaten record on the line while competing with a $40,000 tag in the featured sixth race for fillies and mares.

The headliner is limited to nonwinners of three and combines Ontario-sired allowance types with $40,000 claimers.

Flippin debuted in a fivefurlong dash for $25,000 maiden 3-year-old fillies on May 12. Sent off at 11-1, she came wide from fourth to prevail by 1 1/4 lengths, with a 62 Beyer Speed Figure.

Trainer Zeljko Krcmar ran Flippin back on short rest in a 5 1/2-furlong sprint for $25,000 nonwinners of two on May 28. Again, she rallied wide from fourth and got home on top by a length while receiving a 61 Beyer.

Flippin will stretch out to 6 1/2 furlongs on Thursday, with Justin Stein retaining the mount for Trinity Racing Stables. How does she fit in this acid test? She should have some upside, but her Beyers are lower than two 4-year-olds exiting a victory, Moonlit Silence and Loaded Question, both of whom got a 66 last out.

Moonlit Silence dueled for the lead over a speedfavoring track before beating nonwinners-of-two stock over seven furlongs at 14-1 on May 21. Third-place finisher Hatmaker Holiday came back to score easily at the same level last Friday.

Loaded Question dropped to $15,000 on June 11 and prevailed by daylight traveling six furlongs at 9-1. Like Moonlit Silence, she previously was in dreadful form.

Silver Dahlia also earned a 66 Beyer last time out when second in her season opener at this level and distance. The thirdand fourth-place finishers from that May 20 contest both came right back to score.

Silver Dahlia is winless in her last 12 starts, dating back to fall 2020. The closer drew post 1 in the eight-horse field and is a viable candidate for the bottom of exotic wagers.

Twelfth Moon and Sassy Martini both could be part of the pace picture.

Twelfth Moon was claimed by trainer Mark Casse on behalf of Gary Barber for $35,000 on Jan. 1 at Gulfstream. She earned a 65 Beyer beating nonwinners-oftwo rivals with a $40,000 selling price most recently in her third try off the claim.

Sassy Martini pressed a slow pace en route to a one-length tally against $25,000 nonwinners-of-two types in her second appearance of the meet June 2, when she received a 63 Beyer.

Rounding out the sixth-race lineup are longshots Diamond Crush and Old Secrets.

Post time for the eight-race card is 5:05 p.m.

The lone turf event kicks off the pick four in the fourth race, a $25,000 maiden sprint on the main course that attracted 12 entrants.