Call It a Wrap should appreciate long stretch in Western Canada Handicap

Call It a Wrap could feast on what figures to be a hotly contested pace in the $50,000 Western Canada Handicap at Century Mile Sunday. The six-furlong dash is the inaugural stakes race for 3-year-olds at the newly opened track and is the first step toward the Grade 3, $250,000 Canadian Derby on Aug. 18.

Also on the eight-race card, which begins at 1:45 p.m. Mountain, is the $50,000 Chariot Chaser Handicap for 3-year-old fillies.

Trained by Craig MacPherson, Call It a Wrap is coming off third-place finish in the $50,000 Jim Coleman Province at Hastings on May 4. The British Columbia-bred son of Finality was last during the early stages of the 6 1/2-furlong race and finished with a rush.

Last year he came from well back to win the $50,000 CTHS Sales Stakes at Hastings and finish third in the $100,000 Jack Diamond Futurity there.

This will be Call It a Wrap’s first start away from Hastings and MacPherson is looking forward to seeing him run on a mile track.

“He will be trailing the field early and hopefully he will like running down that big, long lane,” he said.

With its tight turns, Century Mile has one of the longest stretch runs in North America.

Call It a Wrap will break from post 4 with Wilmer Galviz riding.

Coco Tiger and Thatsafactjack have speed and figure to be in the mix early in the Western Canada.

Coco Tiger took them all the way in a nonwinners-of-two allowance race at Century Mile on May 5. Thatsafactjack romped in a $15,000 conditioned claimer at Century on May 4.

Thatsafactjack drew the outside post with Coco Tiger breaking directly to his left. Both are trained by Greg Tracy.

“I would like to switch post positions because I think Coco Tiger has a better chance of settling off the pace,” said Tracy. “They are both nice horses, though.”

Tracy has an excellent chance of winning the Chariot Chaser with Im Evin Im Leavin, who will be a short price in the six-furlong dash, which drew six horses.

Im Evin Im Leavin is coming off back-to-back wins at Sunland Park. She dominated older opponents in a first-level allowance race on March 16 and in another allowance on April 6.

In what was supposed to be her next race she acted up in the starting gate and was scratched out of the $50,000 Ross McLeod at Hastings on May 4.

“She just had a few scratches and seems fine,” said Tracy. “She’s had a couple of decent works since and I expect her to run well Sunday.”

She will break from post 6 with Prayven Badrie riding.

If there is going to be an upset it could come from the Tracy-trained Miss McFad, or the Elige Bourne-trained Exactly, who won her only start by 12 lengths on May 25.