Call 'Cody' a likely winner

CALGARY, Alberta - They Call Me Cody lands in a winning spot in Friday's $16,200, six-furlong allowance feature for non winners of two at Stampede Park.

A 5-year-old gelding, They Call Me Cody was competitive against the best older horses on the grounds here last spring and will be heavily favored to capture his first race of the year. He is trained by Dave Toner.

They Call Me Cody just missed in his 2002 debut against the crack sprinter Tyko Tycoon, and subsequently was third to Sixthirtyjoe in both the Stampede Park Sprint Championship and Teeworth Plate and second to Rancour in the Herald Gold Plate.

Dave Wilson, winner of four races on opening weekend, has the call.

Welch hit with suspension

The depleted riding colony took another blow when Quincy Welch was taken off all his mounts just before Friday's opener and suspended for 30 days after testing positive for an illegal drug. Welch is suspended until May 3 and upon his reinstatement must provide a negative sample.

Welch led the standings at the Calgary and Edmonton meets last year. His suspension leaves just 11 riders here and had management scrambling in search of reinforcements.

* Trainer Stuart Simon enjoyed the full slate of half-miler race on opening weekend, winning with five of his 12 starters. On Friday night he sent out Party in the Park ($28.90) and I Belong ($8.20) and returned on Saturday afternoon and captured the feature with Derby Duke ($7.60). Simon won on Sunday with Red Parka Mary ($6.80) and Whisky Bill ($6.80).