Commander no cinch in Spangled Jimmy Handicap

With eight wins in nine starts at Northlands Park, Commander has been all but unbeatable since he arrived in Edmonton in 2012 and obviously will be a short price to win the $50,000 Spangled Jimmy Handicap on Saturday. Nonetheless, the Spangled Jimmy drew a strong field of seven horses, and Commander will need to be on top of his game to win the one-mile race for 3-year-olds and up.

Trained by Dennis Terry, Commander is a tough horse to get past when he makes the lead early. He is versatile, though, and last year, he came from a stalking position to win the Spangled Jimmy. With the speedy Tigger Town in the field, Commander likely will sit off the pace early. He also will have a little help up front from his stablemate Hoist, who is fast and will be leaving from the inside post with Jorge Espitia aboard.

“Actually, Hoist is training better than any horse in the barn, so don’t be surprised if he beats Commander,” Terry said. “He drew the rail, so we’re definitely going to send him.”

Quincy Welch retains the mount on Commander, who is coming off an easy win going six furlongs in the $50,000 Journal on May 19.

Trainer Greg Tracy isn’t sure if Tigger Town will be able to carry his speed the whole way. Tigger Town earned a 97 Beyer Speed Figure for his 11 1/2-length romp over Hoist in a six-furlong optional $35,000 claiming race May 19. The only time he tried three turns, Tigger Town finished last in the Chris Loseth at Hastings.

“He had throat surgery over the winter, and he’s a lot more relaxed horse now,” Tracy said. “He ran huge last time, but he didn’t have Commander chasing him.”

For Cash isn’t the most consistent horse around, but he’s capable of firing big shots at any time. After finishing third in the Harvest Gold Plate at Northlands last October, he shipped to New Mexico, where he rallied to upset the $200,000 Zia Park Derby. He is coming off a dull effort in the $87,000 Santana Mile won by Fury Kapcori, who came back to score an easy win in the Grade 3 Precisionist.

“He was just overmatched in his last start,” trainer Dale Greenwood said. “He’s really training well right now, and it looks like there should be an honest pace for him to work with.”