Friday and Saturday night stakes action heats up at Northlands Park with eliminations for the Western Canada Pacing derby as well as the filly companion event, the Northlands Filly Pace.
On Friday night, the three fillies featured as "Triple Dead Heat" in Trot's September issue will all vie for top honours in the Northlands Filly Pace. Credit Card Junkie (Keith Clark) will try to live up to her 3-5 billing as she gets away from post 2. Honor Roll (Brandon Campbell), the second choice at 3-1, leaves from the outside post 5. She last raced against older company, finishing fifth after suffering from interference.
"I thought she raced huge last time," stated trainer Sandford Campbell. "She raced great with the blinkers [added] and if she doesn't hook wheels, in the stretch, she's a winner." Others include Outlaw Blue Danube (8-1), Popcorn (6-1) and Brendons No Fly (15-1).
Elimination 2 (Race 8) looks to be a three-horserace on paper. Phone Terror (Serge Masse) 2-1, Blue Star Beauty (Bill Tainsh Jr.) 3-1 and the red-hot Prairie Illusion (Keith Clark) 4-1 all have a license to win this race. Longshots Born With A Grin (20-1), Cloud Nine (10-1) and Cool One (15-1) complete the field of six.
Western Canada Pacing Eliminations on Saturday Night
Two eliminations will be contested for a spot in the $75,000 Western Canada Pacing final next week. Carded as races 8 and 10 on the Saturday evening card, both heats have drawn seven sophomore pacers. Steve O has been installed as the 2-1 favourite in the first of the two eliminations for trainer Marjorie Dumont and driver Jean Francois Gagne. Steve O, who has never finished out of the top three in 18 career starts, will finally avoid racing against top BC colt Gotta Have Nukes - who beat him in the finals of the Murphy and the BC Sales Stakes this Fall at Fraser Downs.
Playbook should get some attention after returning to the Winner’s Circle last time out. A solid second in the $75,000 Alberta Super Final three starts back, Playbook will be rejoined in the bike by Bobby Clark. Keith Clark will take the drive on Somethinsgoinon who comes into this elimination with two straight wins. Third behind Playbook and Outlaw Beacon in the Super Finals, Somethinsgoinon has been showing much increased speed in his last pair of starts.
Outlaw Beacon headlines the second elimination and has been given a freshening since winning the $75,000 Alberta Super Final for three-year-old colts and geldings. Outlaw Beacon is a pure speed runner and hasn’t not been on the lead at the opening quarter mark in a long time. A winner of 8 of 29 lifetime, Jim Marino will again have the drive on Outlaw Beacon.
Cowboy Caper should get some attention at the windows as well, given his win three back in the Alberta Sires Stakes Maverick. He was an upset winner that day and has struggled in his last two starts, finishing fifth in both of them. Smooth Criminal is another with good early speed and will likely send early, however will probably sit second early on with the huge speed of Outlaw Beacon drawn outside. Watch and Pray ships in from Fraser Downs, however he did have some success earlier this summer at Alberta Downs.
For entries, click the following links:
Friday - Northlands Park - Northlands Filly Pace Elims
Saturday - Northlands Park - Western Canada Pacing Derby Elims
(with files from HRA and Northlands)