Drop in class has paid off for juvenile

Juveniles will take center stage on the second-to-last Sunday at the Northlands Park meet, which ends on Canadian Thanksgiving, Oct. 12.

Unclerichpeanuts and Saint's Echo look like the main players in a $20,000 claiming race restricted to horses who have not won two races. Half of the eight horses running in the six-furlong sprint, the seventh race, are fillies.

Unclerichpeanuts, trained by Joan Petrowski, has improved since dropping into the claiming ranks. After going unplaced in three maiden special weight races, all at 5 1/2 furlongs, Unclerichpeanuts found $12,000 maidens a lot more to his liking, finishing third going 3 1/2 furlongs on Aug. 14. He put it all together in his next start two weeks later. With Shannon Beauregard in the irons, he romped by 9 1/4 lengths in a 5 1/2-furlong maiden race for $12,000.

Quincy Welch picks up the mount from Beauregard, who is serving a suspension.

Saint's Echos should appreciate the move back to a sprint after finishing fourth in the one-mile Sturgeon River Stakes in just her second start on Sept. 19. Saint's Echo won a $12,000 maiden race going 3 1/2 furlongs when she made her debut on Aug. 9. Stephen Heiler rides Saint's Echo, who is rained by Ronald Scott.

Trainer Greg Tracy has had a lot of success with 2-year-olds over the past five years. According to DRF's Formulator he has won with 26 percent of the 239 juveniles he has started, and he brings Leroi's Warning into Sunday's race off of a sharp 2 3/4-length win in a $12,000 maiden race for fillies on Sept. 12.