Albert Frassetto's Can'thelpbelieving (Ire) (Duke of Marmalade {Ire}), who came agonizingly close to a first Grade I victory when a head short of Bigger Picture (Badge of Silver) in the July 1 GI United Nations H., faces just four rivals in the GII Nijinsky S. at Woodbine Saturday. The 6-year-old gelding, winner of last year's GIII Cliff Hanger S. over the Monmouth lawn, will be making his first start at Woodbine for trainer Graham Motion.
John Oxley and Kinsman Stable's Tour de Force (Tiznow) was a maiden winner over the Fair Grounds turf in January and makes just his second turf appearance while making his stakes debut in the Nijinsky. He is coming off a wire-to-wire score over the Woodbine synthetic in a nine-furlong optional claimer July 9.
Dragon Bay (Parading) earned his first graded victory with a narrow tally over the synthetic in the May 20 GII Eclipse S. Back on the lawn, the chestnut gelding was a close-up sixth in the July 2 GII King Edward S. last time out and he'll be trying the Nijinsky's 1 1/4-mile distance for the first time Saturday.
Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.
