Northlands Park: Canadian Juvenile looks to be wide open

Barring scratches, 10 2-year-olds will start in the $50,000 Canadian Juvenile at Northlands Park on Monday, and it is anyone’s guess which horse will emerge as the winner. All 10 will be stretching out to a middle distance for the first time, and they also will be looking for their first stakes win.

Just Gone is coming off a second-place finish going 6 1/2 furlongs behind Hollywood Drama in the $50,000 Birdcatcher on Sept. 1 and would be a solid favorite if he hadn’t drawn the outside post. The first of three turns comes up quick, and jockey Kyle Carter will have to figure out a way to avoid a wide trip. Trainer Rod Cone thinks Just Gone has the right kind of style and temperament to handle a middle distance.

“There is a lot of speed in the field, and he can come from off it,” Cone said. “He certainly trains like he will go a mile, but he is going to need some luck breaking from the 10 hole. Hopefully, Kyle can take a hold, tuck him in, and avoid going six wide.”

Risky Call used his good speed to win his last two races, and being a half-brother to four-time route winner Sir John Q, he should be able to carry his speed at least a mile. Trained by Joan Petrowski, Risky Call hasn’t finished worse than second in four starts, and he did sit just off the pace when he won a maiden special weight race by 5 1/2 lengths on Aug. 24. He followed up his impressive maiden win with an upset win over Tony the Tank in a first-level allowance race Sept. 26 and appears to be coming into the Juvenile in perfect condition.

Tony the Tank hasn’t lived up to the promise he showed when he won a maiden special weight race by 8 1/2 lengths in his second start. Trained by Greg Tracy, Tony the Tank finished fifth as the favorite in the Birdcatcher and couldn’t keep up with Risky Call when he was the odds-on choice in his last start.

Freedom of the City: Silkworm stretches

The co-featured $50,000 Freedom of the City for 2-year-old fillies appears to be just as wide open as the Canadian Juvenile.

Silkworn could end up a lukewarm favorite in the one-mile race that drew eight horses.

Trained by Greg Tracy, Silkworm rallied to finish fourth in the $30,000 Debutante going 5 1/2 furlongs at Assiniboia Downs on Aug. 24 and will be wearing blinkers for the first time. In her previous race, she ran evenly while finishing third in the $50,000 Princess Margaret at Northlands on July 21.

She is a half-sister to Shy Baby, who won seven races, including three routes, and earned $208,400.

Leading rider Rico Walcott will ride Silkworm for the first time.

Zippy Request has good speed and could be dangerous if she can clear early.

Candy Alley will run with her own sex for the first time and looks like a threat coming off a third-place finish behind Risky Call and Tony the Tank.