Awesome Slate will need to stay focused in Canadian Juvenile
Trainer Tim Rycroft is hoping to close out the Northlands Park meet by winning the $50,000 Freedom of the City on Friday evening and the $50,000 Canadian Juvenile on closing day Saturday. The undefeated 2-year-old filly Bootleggers Wife is the 1-2 morning-line favorite for the Freedom of the City. With good behavior, Awesome Slate could have been undefeated going into the Canadian Juvenile. Nonetheless, he is going to be heavily favored to win the one-mile race for 2-year-olds that drew 11 horses. Only 10 will be allowed to start, and Moonlight Malice will need a scratch in order to run.
Awesome Slate won his debut going 3 1/2 furlongs in a maiden special weight race June 13 and was going to romp in the $49,000 Edmonton Juvenile before he bolted on the stretch turn. In his next start in the $50,000 Birdcatcher, he was the best horse in the race but got off to a poor start and couldn’t catch his stablemate Kristofferson. It also looked like he was thinking of taking a right turn heading into the stretch, but jockey Tony Maragh worked hard at keeping him focused.
No mistakes were made when Awesome Slate won a first-level allowance race by 4 1/2 lengths in his next start Oct. 3. He will break from post 8 with Rico Walcott riding him for the first time.
Considering that his sire, champion Summer Bird, won the Belmont, Travers, and Jockey Club Gold Cup, and his dam, Awesome Chic, won the Grade 3 Florida Oaks, Awesome Slate shouldn’t have any trouble getting a middle distance.
“As long as he behaves, I’m not worried about him stretching out,” said Rycroft. “I’m not crazy about the post, though.”
KEY CONTENDERS
Awesome Slate (Last 3 Beyers: 74-57-NA)
◗ The 74 Beyer Speed Figure he received for his latest win is the best by any 2-year-old at Northlands this year.
Autumn Song (Last 3 Beyers: 63-33-32)
◗ Trained by Greg Tracy, he couldn’t keep up with Awesome Slate in his most recent start but is trending in the right direction and probably hasn’t reached his peak.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: Over the past five years at Northlands, Tracy has a 31 percent strike rate with 2-year-olds running in non-graded stakes races.
Victory Day (Last 3 Beyers: 42-36-21)
◗ Also trained by Rycroft, he looked good in winning the restricted Alberta Premier’s Futurity in his most recent outing and was a game winner over Ripple in his previous start in a maiden special weight race for Alberta-breds.