Awesome Slate romps in Canadian Juvenile

Awesome Slate paid $2.80 for his impressive win in the $50,000 Canadian Juvenile at Northlands Park on Saturday. The one-mile race for 2-year-olds was the featured race on the last day of the 2015 meet.

With leading rider Rico Walcott aboard, Awesome Slate chased Credits Good through sprint like fractions of 23.31 and 46.98 seconds before taking control approaching the final turn . He quickly opened up a clear lead on the turn, held an eight- length advantage going into the stretch, and was never threatened while winning by 7 3/4 lengths. Ready Intaglio rallied to finish second with Perfect Gent picking up third.

Awesome Slate was going to win the Edmonton Juvenile by a similar margin before he bolted at the top of the stretch. In his last start in a first-level allowance race, he was an easy winner, but he did drift out a bit turning for home with Tony Maragh aboard. Despite the large lead heading into the stretch, Walcott, who was riding Awesome Slate for the first time, kept after him the whole way.

“I was behind him last time and watched how he was running through the stretch so I wasn’t taking any chances,” Walcott said. “This time he just pricked his ears and that was it.”

Awesome Slate, a well-bred son of Summer Bird, is owned by Riversedge Racing Stables Ltd. and trained by Tim Rycroft.

The final time was 1:39.63.

Leena pulls surprise in Freedom of the City

On Friday night, Leena upset heavily favored Bootleggers Wife in the $62,691 Freedom of the City Stakes. She paid $36.70 for her 1 1/2- length win over Bootleggers Wife in the one-mile race for 2-year-old fillies. It was another 10 3/4 lengths back to third-place finisher Onestartatatime.

Owned by R and M Stable, Leena was ridden by Ismael Mosqueira and is trained by Robert MacDonald.

She posted a final time of 1:40.06.