Molinaro Warrior Favored in Woodbine Allowance
Tomorrow (Thursday, November 11) horseracing fans at Woodbine Racecourse in Toronto, Canada can enjoy an 8-race card, including the opener, a $59,700 allowance, in which Molinaro Warrior is favoured.
A 3-year-old gelding trained by Ross Armata, Molinaro Warrior has enjoyed mixed success in his career, but of late seems to be on an upswing. For instance, last week he finished second to Doctor Jack in a Woodbine allowance.
But going back a few months, Armata was very impressed with the gelding after he won his maiden over 6 furlongs, and then went on to rack up three consecutive top three places against special company maidens bred in Ontario.
In a $40,000 claimer in July, Molinaro Warrior finished a none-too-shabby second to Riding the River. However, the gelding stalled in a subsequent allowance, and only managed fourth place in another $40,000 claimer in September.
A lack-luster run in a claimer in October showed that his previously promising form had still not returned. But under the experienced hands of top-rated jockey Luis Contreras in last week's Woodbine allowance, his spark returned.
As such, Armata contracted Contreras to put Molinaro Warrior through his paces in Thursday's $59,700 allowance, where he'll start as the 9/5 favourite against 5 other Ontario sired 3-year-olds and up that have never won two races.
Having drawn the outside post 6, Contreras is expected to hold Molinaro Warrior just off the pace until he's worked out who speedsters are before he puts the gelding into top gear and starts gobbling up and spitting out his rivals.
Here is the complete field and odds for the $59,700 allowance at Woodbine Racecourse on Thursday:
- Hawkey Star (ON) 9/2
- Ruben Squires (ON) 3/1
- Watercolormemories (ON) 20/1
- J R Tommyhawk (ON) 12/1
- Kevin Rawks (ON) 5/2
- Molinaro Warrior (ON) 9/5
