Canadian Derby a solid 12

EDMONTON, Alberta - A full field of 12 will line up in the Grade 3, $300,000 Canadian Derby at Northlands Park on Saturday, the premier event at Northlands Park. The 1 3/8-mile derby is the only graded race at Northlands, which has a five-furlong track. Starting at the top of the stretch, horses will go past the stands three times and go around four turns.

Also on the 12-race card is the $75,000 City of Edmonton Distaff, and Summer Song figures to be a short price.

The Canadian Derby attracted the strongest field in years, and comparing company lines could go a long way in trying to determine the winner.

Scorewithcater has beaten Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird twice this year. The first time was by a neck in his Borderland Derby win at Sunland Park on Feb. 28. In the $900,000 Sunland Park Derby, Scorewithcater finished third, again a neck in front of the Derby winner.

Racing for trainer Doug O'Neill, Scorewithcater finished third in the Grade 2 Swaps Stakes at Hollywood Park on July 18. He will run under the name of local trainer Jim Meyaard on Saturday. Through Wednesday, Meyaard was the leading trainer at Northlands with 34 wins from 72 starts. He has been in close contact with O'Neill since Scorewithcater arrived in Edmonton last Saturday.

"He arrived in great shape, and Doug and I are on the same page in how we want to bring him up to the race," said Meyaard. "He's plenty fit, and we just want him to be a fresh horse on Saturday. All I have really done is put on new shoes."

Leading rider Rickey Walcott rides Scorewithcater.

Stylish Citizen's win over Alezzandro in a $62,000 optional race on turf at Woodbine July 18 was enough to convince trainer John Ross to make the long trip west from Toronto. Stylish Citizen won the $101,000 Charlie Barley Stakes in his previous start.

"Alezzandro is a classy 5-year-old, and he came back to easily win his next start," said Ross. "Stylish Citizen earned his wings when he beat Alezzandro."

It Happened Again looks like a serious threat off of his second-place finish in the Grade 3 Barbaro Stakes on July 19.

Locally based Tease the Tiger, second in the Manitoba Derby, and Cool Diablo, winner of the Count Latham, will have a hard time keeping up with a tough group of invaders. Also shipping in are Hastings-based Tommy Danzigger and Almost Time.

Post time for the Canadian Derby is 3:45 p.m. Mountain.