Commander, For Cash square off in Westerner Handicap

EDMONTON, Alberta – A total of nine horses entered the $50,000 Westerner Handicap at Northlands Park on Saturday. Nonetheless, the 1 1/16-mile race for 3-year-olds and up basically is a match race between Commander and For Cash.

For Cash upset Commander by a neck going the same distance July 19 in the Fred Jones Handicap, but Commander still looks like the one to beat. The Westerner goes as race 10 on a 13-race card that is headed by the Grade 3, $200,000 Canadian Derby. Adding strength to a great card is the $50,000 Sonoma for 3-year-old fillies, which goes as the eighth race.

Trained by Dennis Terry, Commander suffered only his second loss in 11 starts at Northlands in the Fred Jones. He went into the race off another easy win over For Cash in the one-mile Spangled Jimmy Handicap on June 7. It seemed like the 128 pounds he was packing took a toll in the last sixteenth of a mile in the Fred Jones.

For Cash, trained by Dale Greenwood, may have had a slight fitness advantage going into the Fred Jones, with a win and a second-place finish in $35,000 optional-claiming races July 5 and June 21. He also was in receipt of eight pounds from Commander. This time, the difference is six, with Commander carrying the high weight of 127 pounds.

Terry took the loss in stride and expects Commander to be a handful in the Westerner.

“I did give Dale a stall application for Turf Paradise after the race, but he shoved it right back at me,” said Terry. “You can’t win them all, and Commander came back with a strong work last Saturday. I expect him to run a big race.”

Quincy Welch retains the mount.

Westerner Handicap (Race 10)

Key contenders

Commander (Last 3 Beyers: 84-79-83)

* He’s versatile, has been all but unbeatable at Northlands, and was full of himself Aug. 9, when he worked five furlongs in 1:00.20.

DRF Formulator Fact: Over the past five years, Terry has won with 37 percent of his starters at Northlands coming back in fewer than 30 days.

For Cash (Last 3 Beyers: 84-72-69)

* A gem of consistency, he has compiled a solid 5-3-4 record from 14 starts at Northlands.

* His biggest win came when he upset Broadway Empire and the subsequent Grade 3 winner Carve in the $200,000 Zia Park Derby last November.

The Sonoma (Race 8)

Hastings invaders Habida, Far Niente, and Bluegrass Miss should have the edge over a weak local division of 3-year-old fillies.

Key contenders

Habida (Last 3 Beyers: 71-71-62)

* She was an easy winner the only time she ran at Northlands in the $53,000 Freedom of the City as a 2-year-old with Rico Walcott aboard. She is coming off a solid effort behind a much tougher field Aug. 4 in the $50,000 B.C. Cup Dogwood at Hastings and likely will be favored while reuniting with Walcott.

“I had her for two weeks before she won here last year,” said Greenwood, her trainer at Northlands. “This time, she is showing up just before the race, so we’ll see if she handles that any differently.”