Canadian Derby closes out Northlands Park in style

Northlands Park goes out with a strong 12-race card Saturday, headed by the 89th running of the Grade 3, $200,000 Canadian Derby.

The 1 3/8-mile Canadian Derby is the last race on the card and marks the end to live Thoroughbred racing at Northlands, which began in 1900. Thoroughbreds will continue to race in the Edmonton area at Century Mile, which is on schedule to open next year.

“We decided to not race on Wednesday and Friday this week and go out with a bang,” Northlands general manager Scott Sinclair said. “We achieved our goal and we’re expecting the biggest crowd in years. It will be a very emotional day for a lot of us.”

The fields in the non-stakes races are full, and there is a $50,000-guaranteed pool for the late pick four, which begins with the $50,000 Timely Ruckus in race 8. The $75,000 City of Edmonton Distaff also supports the derby. Famed Southern California bugler Jay Cohen will be on hand to add to the festivities.

The nine horses in the Canadian Derby will each carry 122 pounds around four turns.

Depending on how you look at it, trainer Robertino Diodoro has an excellent chance of winning his third or fourth Canadian Derby. He officially won the derby twice, and last year his Chief Know It All finished first and then survived a lengthy stewards’ inquiry. But following an appeal of the stewards’ ruling by the connections of Double Bear, who dead-heated for second with Trooper John, a tribunal disqualified Chief Know It All. The tribunal’s decision is now in the hands of the courts.

Diodoro will saddle the 2-1 morning-line favorite Sky Promise and the 3-1 second choice Hyndford. Leading rider Rico Walcott is named on both horses.

Sky Promise had raced mostly on turf before he romped in his first start for Diodoro in the $75,000 Manitoba Derby on Aug. 6 at Assiniboia Downs. Diodoro had claimed him out of a $40,000 conditional claimer June 30 at Churchill Downs.

Hyndford was good enough to finish two lengths behind Grade 1 Arkansas Derby winner Magnum Moon in an optional claimer for trainer Todd Pletcher on Feb. 15 at Tampa Bay Downs.

A son of Street Cry, Hyndford was purchased privately following a sixth-place finish in a first-level allowance race June 9 at Belmont Park. In his only start for Diodoro, he never got involved while trying turf for the first time in the $200,000 Mystic Lake Derby on June 23 at Canterbury Park.

“They are both training well, but the team is on the Sky Promise bandwagon,” Diodoro said. “He ran such a big race in the Manitoba Derby. The concern with Hyndford is he is going a mile and three-eighths off a layoff. He’s a pretty laid-back horse, so he doesn’t put a lot into his training. At the same time, he worked well here and galloped out strong.”

Hyndford will break from post 3. He will likely be among the early leaders. Sky Promise, post 4, will be rolling late.

Day Raider ships in from Hastings where he came from last to win the $50,000 Sir Winston Churchill Derby Trial for trainer Craig MacPherson on Aug. 6.

“I think the mile and three-eighths should suit him,” MacPherson said.

Gem Alta had won two straight, both at Northlands, before he finished third in the $58,000 Alberta Derby on Aug. 5 at Grande Prairie.

“I think wearing a bar shoe on the sandy track there didn’t help,” trainer Tim Rycroft said. “He will be wearing standard shoes Saturday.”

Regal Max, the front-running winner of the Alberta Derby for trainer Rick Hedge, will be the one they have to run down.

Escape Clause on a roll

Assiniboia Downs-based Escape Clause goes for her fifth straight win in the $75,000 Distaff. Trained by Don Schnell, she hasn’t been tested in any of her races in the streak, which consists of three races in Winnipeg and a victory in an optional-claiming race at Canterbury Park. Last Saturday, she had little more than a public workout while beating her only opponent in the $20,000 Distaff, for horses foaled in Manitoba.

Tara’s Way, trained by Hedge, is the 3-1 morning-line favorite in the 1 1/16-mile Distaff, which drew eight fillies and mares. The daughter of Tizway is coming off a win in the $50,000 Duchess of York on July 28 at Northlands.

Hedge also will saddle the 3-1 morning-line favorite in the Timely Ruckus, Sir Bronx. A 5-year-old gelding by Bellamy Road, Sir Bronx won the race last year. In his last start, he set a fast pace and kept rolling in the 1 1/16-mile Westerner on Aug. 11. With a 6-1-0 record from 7 starts going the 6 1/2-furlong distance of the Timely Ruckus, he shouldn’t mind the move back to a sprint Saturday.