Ron Gierkink

The speedy Maximum Fifty takes a three-race winning streak into Saturday's featured 10th race at Woodbine and should be favored in a six-horse field that also includes the unbeaten 3-year-old Going Lucky.

Saratoga shipper The Big Con added Lasix for a chalky score in Sunday’s $152,400 Grey, one of two Grade 3 stakes for 2-year-olds on the Woodbine card.

Big Time Boss is dropping out of open stakes company with money rider Rafael Hernandez aboard to contest Sunday's $150,000 Clarendon Stakes, a six-furlong test for Ontario-sired and Ontario-bred 2-year-olds.

Heading into this week, Rafael Hernandez had a 135-132 lead in wins over apprentice Pietro Moran, who had led the standings throughout most of the Woodbine meet until the fall. Both ride a contender in Friday's sixth race going 1 1/16 miles for $25,000 nonwinners-of-two claimers.

There will be a mandatory payout on opening day at Woodbine in the Power Pick 6, which has a carryover of $61,065.

Among all the comebackers in Sunday's featured fifth race, War Strategy has been off the longest. But he may have the best chance in the five-furlong dash because he wintered in Florida, unlike the others.

The talented maiden Lakota Lady could graduate in style in Saturday's $125,000 Star Shoot for 3-year-old fillies, the first stakes of the Woodbine meet.

Next Pitch will try to hit it out of the park in Sunday's Woodbine headliner for non-winners of three, a seven-furlong sprint that combines Ontario-sired allowance types with $40,000 claimers.

Longtime Ontario owner/breeder Howard Walton, who campaigned Canadian champion Maritimer, died in Toronto on May 29 at age 81.

Piper’s Gift was pounded down to favoritism in Saturday's $125,000 Fury Stakes at Woodbine and didn’t disappoint her backers when scoring under Rafael Herandez in the prep for the July 19 Woodbine Oaks.