A beautiful sunny day, with a strong wind from the north-west, for the first card of the 109-day meet, which was postponed from April 18. 

Firm for both turf courses. Lane 1 for the inner and lane 2 for the main. 

No stakes on the solid 11-race card. Multiple stakes winner Amalfi Coast and Get Explicit head the featured ninth race. The 7 1/2-furlong allowance with no conditions carries a base purse of $75K.

It's important to note that Woodbine-based horses had no official works during April through to May 14 due to the pandemic, so don't be alarmed when you see large gaps on their workout lines. 

The jockeys should be given some slack. To stay safe, they're being subjected to numerous protocols, too many to mention, and are also riding under new rules that allow for underhand urging only. It will be a learning process for everyone. 

Perennial leading rider Eurico Da Silva retired last year. Rafael Hernandez or Kazushi Kimura are the most likely to take over the top spot in the standings. Three new jockeys on the scene are Darryll Holland, Larry Munoz and Jason Hoyte.  

Last year's leading trainer, Norm McKnight, has a host of live runners on the weekend, many of whom competed at Oaklawn. He sends out the favored Honduras in the opener. 

Waubaushene is out of the third. Oheavens and Bunchkins are scratched from the fourth. Cool Society and Dad's Missy are out of the eighth.