Hemlock Channel will need his best in Harvest Plate

Hemlock Channel isn’t the most consistent horse around, but when he shows up with his best stuff he can be a handful. The 8-year-old Ontario-bred owns the track record for 6 1/2 furlongs at Northlands Park, and while it is early days at the newly opened Century Downs, his final time of 1:23.46 for a blowout win going seven furlongs in his most recent start is the fastest at the meet.

He might have to set another track record in order to win the $100,000 Harvest Plate on Sunday at Century Downs. The seven-furlong dash for 3-year-olds and up headlines an 11-race card that begins at 12:50 p.m. Mountain. Supporting the richest sprint in Western Canada is the $50,000 Founders Distaff Handicap, where Escape Clause will be a prohibitive favorite to win the 1 1/16-mile race for fillies and mares.

The Harvest Plate drew 10 horses and is the third leg of a pick four that has a guaranteed pool of $15,000.

Trained by Greg Tracy, Hemlock Channel has the right style for the race. He can stalk and should have a fast and contested pace to work with.

In his 9 1/2-length romp in a $35,000 optional-claiming race Oct. 7, he had one horse beat at the first call. With leading rider Rico Walcott aboard, he moved into contention at the quarter pole before taking complete control of the race on the stretch turn.

In his previous start, he finished third in a seven-furlong allowance race that served as the opening-day feature Sept. 23.

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Tracy is hoping for another strong performance Sunday.

“He’s feeling great and he really seems to like the track here,” Tracy said. “There is enough speed to set him up, and hopefully he’ll run as well as he did last time.”

He will break from post 6 with Walcott riding.

Some of the speed will be provided by his stablemate Blue Dancer who will be ridden by Ridge Balgobin from post 2.

Venetian Mask, the 5-2 morning-line favorite, will be cutting back to a sprint after finishing third going 1 3/8 miles in the Grade 3, $100,000 B.C. Premier’s for trainer Mike Anderson on Oct. 9 at Hastings.

Anderson will watch the race from Hastings, where he has five horses entered Sunday. Jerri Robertson will be the trainer of record.

Killin Me Smalls, the top older horse at Northlands this year, will try to get back on track after finishing last as the favorite in the Premier’s.

Trained by Ernie Keller, the two-time Grade 3 winner will break from the rail with Keishan Balgobin riding.

Escape Clause will be hard to beat when she goes for her ninth win in 10 starts this year in the 1 1/16-mile Founders Distaff Handicap.

Trained by Don Schnell, her only loss in 2017 was a runner-up finish in the $75,000 Manitoba Derby at Assiniboia Downs.

In her only start at Century Downs, she toyed with her overmatched opponents in the $50,000 CTHS Sales Stakes. The 87 Beyer she received is easily the best at the meet.