Bourbon County faces softer

EDMONTON, Alberta - Bourbon County seeks to win her fourth race this year as she drops in for a $25,000 tag and takes on five other 3-year-old fillies in the feature here at Northlands Park on Saturday.

Bourbon County is making her second start off of a layoff that had her away from the track from July 26 through Sept. 14. In her comeback, Bourbon County finished third in an optional claiming race going 6 1/2 furlongs. Prior to the layoff, she was claimed out of a win for $25,000 by trainer Yves Trudel for owner Jus Luk Stable.

Stephan Heiler, who had ridden Bourbon County in her last six starts, will be replaced by Jake Barton.

Stone Justice might be able to upset if she can return to the form she showed this spring. Stone Justice rattled off three consecutive wins at Stampede Park this spring, the last two of which were in optional claimers against solid competition.

After that early success, trainer Carson Frey decided to test Stone Justice against stakes-caliber fillies and she acquitted herself reasonably well with fourth-place finishes in both the Penny Ridge at Stampede Park and the Chariot Chaser at Northlands. An expedition to Assiniboia Downs for the Aug. 6 Assiniboia Oaks resulted in a seventh-place finish. Returning to Northlands for the Sept. 14 race in which Bourbon County made her comeback, Stone Justice looked inadequate again, finishing last in the seven-horse field.