With his dangerous speed, Main Executive could hold the key to Saturday's seven-furlong main event at Woodbine, the $200,000 Play the King Stakes (Can-II) on the grass.The son of Bold Executive is an accomplished sprinter on the main track, a surface over which he is a six-time winner, including the New Providence Stakes in May.In nine career starts, he has never been worse than second after a quarter-mile or a half-mile. At the stretch call (one furlong left), the Bruno Brothers Farms homebred has led in all but one of his races.The Play the King will be the Radlie Loney trainee's first try over the E.P. Taylor Turf Course. He'll be teamed with regular rider Richard Dos Ramos."He's taking on some proven horses on the turf," said Loney. "He may not get to have things his own way," Few horses in the 11-horse field, which includes Todd Pletcher invader Vicarage and Neil Drysdale trainee Becrux, are blessed with Main Executive's sheer speed. If he's able to freewheel on the lead, his more accomplished rivals may never catch up to his flank.Loney looks to the turf success enjoyed by Main Executive's full sister Blonde Executive as an indication of his turf potential. Blonde Executive retired with a 2-for-2 record on the turf, winning the Passing Mood and La Prevoyante Stakes.Loney received an early glimpse of how his 4-year-old may handle the surface on Aug. 21, when Main Executive breezed over the Woodbine training turf course in a bullet :46-flat for a half-mile. The move was the fastest of 19 attempts at the distance.
"From what I saw, I don't think he'll have any trouble handling the turf," added Loney. "He did it very easily."Dogwood Stable's Vicarage, a 4-year-old from the powerful Pletcher barn, has tried turf twice in 19 starts. His most recent attempt, two starts ago, produced a third-place finish in the Poker Handicap (gr. IIIT) at Belmont Park. $200,000 Play the King Stakes (Can-II, Race 6), 3 & Up, 7 Furlongs (Turf)
PP–Horse–Jockey–Trainer
1 – My Lucky Strike – Jono Jones – Lorne Richards
2 – Millfleet – Emma-Jayne Wilson – Mike DePaulo
3 – Le Cinquieme Essai – Steve Bahen – Paul Nielsen
4 – Awesome Action – Robert Landry – Sue Leslie
5 – Marco Be Good – Justin Stein – John Ross
6 – Sophia's Prince – Simon Husbands – John LeBlanc Jr.
7 – Becrux – Brice Blanc – Neil Drysdale
8 – Main Executive – Richard Dos Ramos – Radlie Loney
9 – Vicarage – Todd Kabel – Todd Pletcher
10 – Raw Power – Jim McAleney – Barbara Minshall
11 – Dalavin – Patrick Husbands – Audre Cappuccitti
