Dazzling Gold steps up to open company in Manitoba Oaks

Dazzling Gold has been nothing less than dazzling in her first two starts in restricted stakes. She will get tested for class when she tackles open company in the $25,000 Manitoba Oaks for 3-year-old fillies on Tuesday at Assiniboia Downs.

The Oaks goes as the fifth race on a seven-race card that begins at 7:35 p.m. Central. The one-mile race drew seven horses who will each carry 119 pounds.

Trained by Tiffany Husbands, Dazzling Gold was impressive winning her debut in the $25,000 Hazel Wright Sires Stakes on June 23. With Edgar Zenteno riding, she broke a half-step slow in the six-furlong race for horses sired in Manitoba. Without a lot of urging, it didn’t take her long to make the lead, however, and she was never threatened while winning by three lengths.

:: Click to learn about our DRF's Free Past Performance program.

She showed her performance was no fluke in the $25,000 R.C. Anderson, winning the one-mile race for 3-year-old fillies foaled in Manitoba by 7 1/2 lengths.

What Husbands liked about her blowout win in the R.C. Anderson was that she showed she doesn’t mind having dirt thrown in her face. She did look comfortable when she was on the rail sitting just behind Sixtyshadesofblue early. The race was pretty much over after Zenteno put her on the lead when the rail opened up on the backstretch.

“It’s exciting that she’s doing so well,” Husbands said of the Starfield Stable homebred. “She really enjoys being out there. I was pleased with how she handled getting dirt in her face. The rider said she just put her head down and kept going.”

Husbands likes how Dazzling Gold is developing.

“She is getting more and more confidence every day,” she said. “She seems to be okay with anything.”

The daughter of True Sense will break from post 6 with Zenteno riding.

The 7-5 morning-line favorite is Kickalittlebooty who is coming off a neck loss to Christmas Dance in the $25,000 Jack Hardy on July 7.

Trained by Brent Hrymak, Kickalittlebooty won the $25,000 Chantilly in her first start this year on June 16. With leading rider Antonio Whitehall aboard, she finished with a rush to win the six-furlong dash by 1 3/4 lengths. In the 7 1/2-furlongs Jack Hardy, she got stuck on the rail in the four-horse field, split horses turning for home, but couldn’t get past Christmas Dance.

Kickalittlebooty, a Kentucky-bred daughter of Midshipman, drew post 4 with Whitehall retaining the mount.

Christmas Dance has a right to move forward after winning the Jack Hardy for trainer Shelley Brown in just her second start.

Assiniboia Downs could be called “The Little Track That Could.” It was the first Thoroughbred track to open in Canada this year, and it has found a following. Last year, the average daily mutuel handle was $231,687. This year, they are averaging a whopping $1,295,952. A record $4,106,601 was wagered on a six-race card July 6. Helping boost the handle was the $2.6 million bet on the pick five, which had a mandatory payout.

Expect more of the same. Going into Monday, the pick five jackpot had a $194,978 carryover. The Super Hi 5 Jackpot also is building with a $162,418 carryover.

The Hi 5 will have a mandatory payout on the Manitoba Derby card on Monday, Aug. 3. There also will be a $50,000-guaranteed pool for the pick four. No decision has been made on when the pick five will have a mandatory payout.