The $120,000 Courageous Lady will head postward this Friday evening (November 27) at Northfield Park. The Grand Circuit race will feature some of North America’s top three-year-old-filly pacers and has once again attracted an impressive slate of talent.
This year’s Jugette winner, Sassa Hanover, will start from Post 3 and has been named the 2-1 early favourite. A Courageous Lady victory would push Sassa Hanover’s earnings over the $1 million mark. The Ron Burke trainee has posted six victories this year, including a 1:49.4 win at Mohawk Racetrack. Burke has given the driving assignment to Yannick Gingras.
The second choice on the morning line, Triple V Hanover, has drawn the rail for trainer Brian Brown. She enters the dash off of a runner-up finish in the $120,000 American National at Balmoral Park and has career earnings approaching $200,000. Northfield Park’s leading driver, Ronnie Wrenn Jr., has been named to pilot.
Ron Burke and Brian Brown each have entered two fillies in Friday’s featured event. Burke will also start Southwind Roulette, the 4-1 morning-line third choice with Matt Kakaley from Post 2. Brown will harness Somewhere Sweet for Aaron Merriman and carries a 10-1 morning line from Post 4.
The complete Courageous Lady field appears below.
PP – Horse – Trainer – Listed Driver – Morning Line
1 – Triple V Hanover – Brian Brown – Ronnie Wrenn Jr. – 7-2
2 – Southwind Roulette – Ron Burke – Matt Kakaley – 4-1
3 – Sassa Hanover – Ron Burke – Yannick Gingras – 2-1
4 – Somewhere Sweet – Brian Brown – Aaron Merriman – 10-1
5 – Bettor N Better – Jeffrey Bamond Jr. – Tim Tetrick – 6-1
6 – Band Of Angels – Tony Alagna – Ronnie Wrenn Jr. – 12-1
7 – Luck Be A Lindy – Frank Antonacci – Ronnie Wrenn Jr. – 20-1
8 – Purrfect Bags – JoAnn Looney-King – Victor Kirby – 15-1
(*Final drivers are due 9 p.m. on Monday, November 23.)
This year’s Courageous Lady has been slated as Race 11 on the 15-race program. A $10,000 guaranteed Pick-4 pool has been added to the card. The guaranteed Pick 4 will begin with Race 8 and conclude with the Courageous Lady.
(With files from Northfield Park)