ETOBICOKE, Ontario – The Brazilian champion Raptor’s makes his North American debut off a year-long layoff going a mile on the main turf in Thursday’s featured conditioned allowance with an $80,000 claiming option at Woodbine. Raptor’s won 4 of 8 starts in his homeland, including the Group 1 Brazilian Derby last year. In an 18-horse field last June that included seven Group 1 winners, the now 5-year-old prevailed after a stretch-long battle going about 1 1/2 miles in the Group 1 Grande Premio Brasil.  Raptor’s is making his first start for trainer Mark Casse and the ownership group of Gary Barber, Wachtel Stable, and Peter Deutsch, who also campaign the Brazilian-bred graded stakes winners Filo Di Arianna and Ice Chocolat with Casse training. “I’ve had him for about eight or nine months,” Casse said. “When they bought him in Brazil, he had actually won a Win and You’re In for the Breeders’ Cup last fall, but when I got him to Ocala, he was just not ready to go on. It’s taken us a long time.  “I think he has the potential to be a star later on. I find with the horses from South America, sometimes it takes them a little while [to come around]. It took Ice Chocolat a while. Filo was here for a couple of years before I got him. He’d had some issues.” Sahin Civaci will ride the first-time Lasix user Raptor’s, who breezed five furlongs in a bullet 59.40 seconds on the Tapeta here June 12. Also entered in the terrific feature are Like the King, Ironstone, J P Hellish, Clear Destination, Luckman, Sky’s Not Falling, and Journeyman.  :: Bet the races with a $200 First Deposit Match + FREE All Access PPs! Join DRF Bets. Ironstone ran competitively in two legs of the 2022 Canadian Triple Crown, finishing fourth in the Queen’s Plate and second in the Prince of Wales. A fast worker, he has been campaigned as a sprinter since the spring of 2023 and rallied for third in both of his starts at this meet, most recently in the Grade 3 Jacques Cartier. Trainer Willy Armata said he opted for Thursday’s race rather than Saturday’s Grade 2 Highlander, thinking that it would likely be easier. Ironstone was unplaced after a wide trip in his lone turf start a year ago. “I feel like he never really had a shot on the turf before,” Armata said.  J P Hellish had a successful winter campaign at Gulfstream for trainer Marty Drexler, who also entered Clear Destination. Both have a chance to hit the board.  Journeyman prevailed with a $50,000 claiming tag in a recent allowance on Tapeta, his third win in his last five outings. He was a model of consistency in $25,000 starter allowances over the winter on the Tampa turf. Luckman was scratched from an easier spot on Sunday. The erratic closer hasn’t shown much since ending up third in the Grade 2 Autumn in November, but this third start of his form cycle could be an improved one. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.