ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Pearl of Valor will likely be favored in Wednesday’s Woodbine headliner for fillies and mares, but she’s had 10 chances at this first allowance condition and certainly isn’t worth backing at a skimpy price.
Pearl of Valor was claimed for $30,000 on Jan. 31 at Fair Grounds by trainer Steve Asmussen, who sent her out to finish a close third there in a 1 1/16-mile allowance that was taken off the turf March 12.
After finishing fourth on April 14 at Keeneland, Pearl of Valor was shipped here for a May 1 engagement, in which she ran third behind the upwardly mobile Magic Broomstick and Gore Bay. Her best recent race took place June 19, when she ran second behind favored Clear Lake and registered a 77 Beyer Speed Figure.
Pearl of Valor was a chalky 7-5 most recently, but she could only manage third then after closing five wide from off a fast pace under Patrick Husbands, who retains the mount.
Greenapple Martini, like Pearl of Valor, is a win-shy 4-year-old by hot sire Medaglia d’Oro. She chased Pearl of Valor home in each of her last two starts, finishing third and fourth under Chantal Sutherland.
Sutherland will once again get a leg up from trainer Mike Mattine, who has been heating up of late after a quiet spring.
There isn’t a confirmed front-runner in the 1 1/16-mile, and Drama could inherit the roll of pacemaker.
Drama was a minor player in routes on the grass and Polytrack in spring 2009, before going to the sidelines. She went into a slump after ending up second in her season opener in a shorter allowance sprint but is coming off an eight-length triumph in a 5 1/2-furlong maiden special on the dirt at Fort Erie, for which she got a 69 Beyer.
Journeyman David Clark, who was aboard for Drama’s maiden win, is 3 for 6 at the meet aboard Mike Keogh-trained runners.
Snow Patches set soft fractions on an uncontested lead before drawing away for an easy win over $40,000 conditioned claimers going 1 1/16 miles July 21. She breezed a half-mile in 49.60 seconds last Saturday for trainer Steve Attard.
Spanish Wedding rallied five wide to crush $40,000 nonwinners-of-three opposition with the aid of an outside bias in her latest.
