Deputy Brawler in for a fight

SASKATOON, Saskatchewan - Eleven 2-year-olds, nominated while their dams were in foal, will go in search of their first stakes win in Saturday's two divisions of the $5,000 Saskatchewan Futurity at Marquis Downs.

The conditions of the races stipulate the foal be Canadian-bred and the mare be Canadian-owned. Both divisions will go over six furlongs, with the first for colts and geldings and the second for fillies.

Five were entered in the first division, race 1 on Saturday, and the favorite should be Deputy Brawler.

A buy-back from both the Alberta and Saskatchewan yearling sales, Deputy Brawler's only start resulted in a third-place finish against $15,000 maiden claimers at Edmonton's Northlands Park on July 13. In that race, over just 3 1/2 furlongs, Deputy Brawler broke quickly and just weakened slightly down the lane. Serge Rocheleau will ride on Saturday.

Astapay is the logical threat to Deputy Brawler based on his second-place finish at this distance here two weeks ago, when he led at the head of the stretch. Rennie Latchman rides.

The filly division appears to be the more interesting, given that the winners of the only two local maiden races will face each other. Both are trained by Hubert Pilon.

Allourwishes won the meet's first 2-year-old race, scoring by 6 3/4 lengths in a half-mile dash. Allourwishes actually broke slowly, but was a head on top at the quarter pole and won easily. Tim Moccasin retains the mount.

Her uncoupled stablemate, Megan's Way, was the horse who collared Astapay two weeks ago. Megan's Way was five lengths off the lead in fourth place early on, but rallied gamely to win by 1 1/4 lengths.

Of the eleven juveniles entered in the Saskatchewan Futurity, five of them are by Stop the Stage. Three are by freshman sire Shaheen, including Allourwishes, who was his first starter and winner.