GOOD BYE GREG (4) figured to be a heavy favorite in the upcoming Bold Venture at Woodbine; his defection has left this race as a complete crapshoot, for a number of reasons. Not only does his scratch leave favoritism up for grabs, but it also dramatically changes the potential pace scenario. PUNTROOKSIE (3) hasn't been in good form recently, but he has the ability to clear to the lead if Patrick Husbands chooses to send from the gate. BOREAL SPIRIT (2) also possesses solid early foot, but it could be a darned-if-you-do-darned-if-you-don't situation for him; if he is sent hard, he could wind up in a pace duel and have nothing left in the tank down the lane. The other possibility is allowing Puntrooskie a relatively early lead and then being unable to run him down late.

Regardless of what you think of the race as a whole, there's no denying that the Bold Venture will be a fascinating race from a strategic standpoint.