Beau Ring an old pro at a mile

Beau Ring will seek his 13th stakes victory and 24th overall at the ripe old age of 11 as he faces six other Saskatchewan-bred older colts and geldings in Friday's second running of the Lakeland Heritage at Marquis Downs.

The Horizon Heritage, for older Saskatchewan-bred fillies and mares, is the co-feature. Both races are contested at one mile for purses of $10,000.

Friday's stakes events kick off Heritage weekend, which celebrates Saskatchewan-bred Thoroughbreds, and Saturday's card offers an additional four races for 2- and 3-year-olds worth $20,000 apiece.

Beau Ring won stakes races at ages 2 through 5 and then again at age 7, and should be a prohibitive choice to add to his tally four years later.

Beau Ring loves the one-mile distance, as he sports a record of 20 top-three finishes from 29 starts. A pair of seven-furlong victories this season should have him set up well to grab the lion's share of the purse in the Lakeland.

Facing Beau Ring are Royal Rust, the upset winner of this event last season but winless in five tries this year; Steels a First, who was a recent winner at a mile in a sharp 1:40.60; and Shy of Fifty, who has won three straight versus conditioned foes, the last two at this distance.

Dorothy Hazel, winner of last year's Parkland Heritage for 3-year-old fillies, heads the Horizon Heritage.

Dorothy Hazel beat open foes this year in the MD Ambulance Handicap but has turned in three subpar efforts since that June 20 victory.

Facing Dorothy Hazel will be the one-two finishers from this event last year, Allourwishes and Shadazzle.

Like Dorothy Hazel, though, these two have gone cold of late and sport just a single placing from nine combined starts in 2008.

All three should find their best form facing Saskatchewan-bred foes, as the other seven entrants have combined for just 11 wins.