Woodbine Spot Plays for Saturday, June 29

Woodbine has a fantastic card of racing Saturday. With a new inner turf course open, there are nine turf races scheduled while the rest are run on the Tapeta main track. Race 8 is the Dance Smartly Stakes (G2) for fillies and mares, three-year-olds and upward. They will be going 1 1/4 miles on the expansive outer turf course and the field only attracted a field of eight. HOLY HELENA (#1) (9-5) is a multiple graded winner on the turf. She draws post 1 and will be far back before Javier Castellano asks her to go. Two starts back, she won The Very One Stakes (G3) at Gulfstream Park at a similar distance and has improved some since Lasix was added at the beginning of this year. Jimmy Jerkens wins 27 percent with his shippers and 24 percent second start off the layoff. STARSHIP JUBILEE (#4) (2-1) could be the controlling speed if Luis Contreras sends her to the front as expected. She has won at this distance before and won this race two years ago. Last out, she opened up a clear lead in the stretch before being run down as the odds-on favorite. ROCK MY LOVE (#8) (7-2) ships in from Europe after just missing in a Group 2 two starts back and then was part of a blanket finish going a mile on soft turf against Group 2 company again. She returns off a long layoff with a series of strong workouts and adds Lasix for the first time. Exacta: 1 with 4, 8 Pick 3: 1, 4 with 1, 2, 8 with 10 Race 9 is the Highlander Stakes (G1), a turf sprint race going six furlongs for three-year-olds and upward. For some reason, it is not part of the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series. There is a long stretch but speed does well here at this distance. WHITE FLAG (#8) (7-2) returns to the races off a 168-day layoff for Christophe Clement, who has become a master of turf sprints. The son of War Front rallied from off the pace to win the Aqueduct Turf Sprint Championship at this distance two starts back then gunned to the front in the Tropical Turf (G3) and led to the deep stretch. He has three wins at the distance and picks up Javier Castellano. CARIBOU CLUB (#2) (7-5) won the seven-furlong Connaught Cup (G2) here 13 months ago in fast time. He added scores in the Seabiscuit Handicap (G2) and Joe Hernandez Stakes (G3) before a disastrous trip to Dubai, where he trailed at the start. Tom Proctor wins 16 percent off long layoffs, and Caribou Club will be a major stretch factor. EXTRAVAGANT KID (#1) (6-1) has become a very consistent turf sprinter at the age of six for Brendan Walsh. He has enough gate speed to keep from being shuffled back and picks up Rafael Hernandez. Win: 8 Exacta: 1, 2 with 8 Daily Double: 8 with 10 Race 10 is the Queen’s Plate, a $1 million race for Canadian-foaled three-year olds going 1 1/4 miles on the Tapeta main track. SKYWIRE (#10) (4-1) won his first two starts here on the Tapeta then ran poorly in a rough trip in the Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3) at Turfway Park on their synthetic Polytrack. He bounced back here with a win against open company stakes horses then just missed in the Marine Stakes (G3). I love his pedigree – Afleet Alex over a dam by Gone West – and Eurico Da Silva should be able to gain position with the long run into the first turn. FEDERAL LAW (#7) (15-1) won going seven furlongs here then came back with a good second as the 9-5 favorite in the Plate Trial Stakes at nine furlongs. The gelded son of Scat Daddy has run well in both starts against Canadian-foaled runners and Jamie Spencer is in from Europe for the mount. DESERT RIDE (#1) (8-1) is a deep closer who figures to get a ground-saving trip from post 1 with Steve Bahen. The daughter of Candy Ride gets five pounds, and Neil Howard knows how to get horses to go long – see Summer Squall and Mineshaft. Win: 10 Exacta Box: 1, 7, 10 PHOTO: Holy Helena (c) WEG/Michael Burns Photography