Assiniboia Downs: Portales looks to defeat familiar foes in Chantilly

Portales, the front-running winner of the 5 1/2-furlong prep for the Chantilly Stakes on June 7, will look to hold the fort when she faces six rivals in the Chantilly itself at Assiniboia Downs on Wednesday evening.

The Chantilly, a six-furlong race for 3-year-old fillies, offers a purse of $30,000.

Portales is trained by Charlie Smith, who is based in Minnesota and has orchestrated numerous successful stakes invasions in the past. The Kentucky-bred Portales is a good example, having won the six-furlong Winnipeg Futurity in her season finale at 2 after finishing second in both the 5 1/2-furlong Debutante and the 5 1/2-furlong Graduation at the meeting. Her opponents in the Winnipeg Futurity and the Graduation included males.

Portales is the top earner in the field for the Chantilly, with a bankroll of $100,323 for owner Terry Propps.

Jordan Olesiak returns aboard Portales, and the pair will begin from post 6.

Canaveral Leader, invading from Edmonton, will be one to reckon with in her Assiniboia Downs debut.

Trained by Ron Grieves, Canaveral Leader is coming off a game second-place finish behind Edmonton’s top 3-year-old filly sprinter, Tell Me Lies, in the six-furlong Chariot Chaser on June 15.

Canaveral Leader also was the runner-up in the Filly Sales, Bird of Pay, and Sturgeon River stakes, all over 6 1/2 furlongs at Northlands Park last year.

Local rider Trevor Simpson picks up the mount on Canaveral Leader, who drew the outside post.

Also entered, from the rail out, are: Magical Powder, I Got Sense, Two Barrel Tootie, Arstar, and Key to Glory.

Key to Glory was a good second to Portales in the Chantilly prep after winning his maiden in his 2013 and local debut. Jennifer Reid retains the mount.

Two Barrel Tootie defeated Portales in the Debutante but has not come close to duplicating that feat in two subsequent encounters.

Magical Powder was impressive in winning her local debut but failed to seriously threaten when third in the Chantilly prep. I Got Sense also competed there, ending fourth.

Arstar won a pair of restricted stakes last year but is in tough here.