Duchess is Arctic Taliyah's for the taking

SASKATOON, Saskatchewan - Arctic Taliyah should go postward as the odds-on favorite and could cement her claim to divisional honors at Marquis Downs in Friday's $6,000 Duchess Handicap for 3-year-old fillies.

A winner of three races in 2005, Arctic Taliyah faces just four others - three of whom are maidens - in the one-mile Duchess, which is the last stakes of the meeting for the division.

Arctic Taliyah, with leading jockey Tim Moccasin up, has been hot and cold this year. After winning her maiden in her second start of 2005, Arctic Taliyah bombed as the 3-5 favorite versus nonwinners of two, and then was beaten 11 lengths in the Captain Stanley Harrison. But Arctic Taliyah rebounded by racing to an allowance victory, followed by a dominant score in the one-mile James Leakos Sophomore.

In her last start, Arctic Taliyah fell a neck short to Sheen Sky as the 1-2 favorite in the 1 1/16-mile Parkland Heritage here Aug. 20. Sheen Sky has not been entered in the Duchess.

Chipaway finished second in the Captain Stanley Harrison before winning her maiden on July 22 over seven furlongs. Chipaway's victory was a front-running effort, but in her latest outing, versus nonwinners of two lifetime, she stalked the pace and put in a late run to finish fourth at one mile.

Bold Invader finished third in the Parkland Heritage, missing by 1 1/2 lengths, and in the James Leakos Sophomore. Bold Invader, a maiden, finished second by a neck in Arctic Taliyah's allowance score on July 22 and will shed nine pounds as she moves from jockey Duncan Gordon to Rennie Latchman.

The maidens Bermuda Rose, third in the Captain Stanley Harrison, and Fractious Lady complete the field.