Assiniboia Downs: Ruby’s Big Band targets Canada Day repeat

Ruby’s Big Band, who successfully invaded Assiniboia Downs for last year’s Canada Day, will be looking for a repeat in Sunday’s renewal of the one-mile feature for fillies and mares.

The Canada Day, which offers a purse of $30,000, will go as the eighth of nine races on a program that begins at 1:15 p.m.

Ruby’s Big Band, a Texas-bred 5-year-old owned by Terry Propps and trained by Charlie Smith, has won 13 of her 39 career starts and compiled a record of 7-3-2 from her 13 Winnipeg appearances.

Her other local stakes wins include last year’s 1 1/16-mile Jack Hardy and the one-mile Assiniboia Oaks (via disqualification). She also notched three stakes wins in her 2-year-old campaign.

Ruby’s Big Band has seen action six times this year, winning 6 1/2-furlong stakes at Lone Star and Fonner Park before moving north to her Canterbury Park base.

Rohan Singh, who has ridden Ruby’s Big Band in the majority of her local appearances, gets the call again Sunday.

Honorable Lady and Golden Stripe, the 1-2 finishers in the six-furlong La Verendrye on June 9, will renew their rivalry in the Canada Day.

Golden Stripe, a Manitoba-bred 6-year-old, ended second behind Ruby’s Big Band last year and is proven at the one-mile distance with five wins from seven starts, including the 2010 Canada Day.

Singh rode Golden Stripe in the La Verendrye, but Trevor Simpson gets the call here.

Honorable Lady, a 5-year-old Kentucky-bred, has recorded all nine of her wins at seven furlongs or less.

Tim Moccasin, who rode Honorable Lady for the first time in the La Verendrye, again will get a leg up from trainer Tom Gardipy.

Witch’s Coven, who defeated both Ruby’s Big Band and Golden Stripe in last year’s 1 1/16-mile Winnipeg Sun, showed some late life when fifth in the La Verendrye and is a possible upsetter here.

Tyrone Nelson rides Witch’s Coven for trainer Carl Anderson.

Rounding out the field will be Lucky Lady Go and Sweet Tizzy Lizzy, the respective seventh- and eighth-place finishers from the La Verendrye.