ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Woodbine’s road to the $1 million King’s Plate in August begins Sunday for Ontario-bred Midnight Mascot in the Woodstock Stakes, an open six-furlong sprint for 3-year-olds. Midnight Mascot is making his season debut for trainer Mark Casse, who said he’s bypassing the Woodstock with reigning Canadian champion 2-year-old My Boy Prince while pointing him to the restricted Queenston Stakes here June 9. Midnight Mascot graduated in his third juvenile outing in a Tapeta sprint before a pace-pressing fifth going long in the Grade 3 Grey. He rallied from off a quick pace to finish a close second in the six-furlong Clarendon Stakes on Dec. 2 while earning an 81 Beyer Speed Figure. Clarendon victor Frac Dancer subsequently took the Texas Glitter Stakes at Gulfsteam Park. “He did really well this winter,” Casse said. “He’s changed a lot. He matured. He’s trained well. I’m expecting a big effort out of him.” A $200,000 Keeneland yearling purchase, Midnight Mascot, by Army Mule, is out of a full sister to 2013 Plate winner Midnight Aria. Patrick Husbands has the mount in the six-horse field. Tunechi has been idle since a deceptively good effort in the Nov. 4 Grey, during which he raced four wide most of the way while closing for fourth over a speed-favoring Tapeta surface. He was previously fourth in the Grade 1 Summer on the grass after graduating in a turf sprint. :: Subscribe to the DRF Post Time Email Newsletter: Get the news you need to play today's races!  “I always thought he was a turf horse, but we aren’t there yet,” trainer Barbara Minshall said. “But he can handle [Tapeta]. We’ll focus on this race and then eventually he’ll be on the turf once that gets going.” Tunechi spent the winter at the Travis Durr Training Center in South Carolina in preparation for his 3-year-old campaign. “He’s filled out and grown up a bit,” Minshall said. “He’s a big horse. You like to see them grow from the first year to the next and he has.” Emma-Jayne Wilson was aboard for Tunechi’s maiden victory and will ride him again Sunday. Ontario-bred Naptown is shipping in from Maryland for his first start since a non-threatening fourth in the nine-furlong Coronation Futurity for Canadian-breds here Nov. 25. He crushed maidens at second asking traveling seven-eighths here in October while beating next-out winner Wagner. Trainer Graham Motion is putting Naptown on Lasix. The son of Munnings retains jockey Rafael Hernandez. Completing the Woodstock lineup are Adios Now, Countryboysurvive, and Break the Spell. Among those, Adios Now appears to have the best chance. A $25,000 claim by trainer Bill Tharrenos at Gulfstream in late January, Adios Now is exiting a victory in a $35,000 starter/optional claimer going five-eighths there. Sahin Civaci will break him from the rail and might put him on the lead. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.