Harvest Plate wide open; Escape Clause formidable in Founders Distaff

The two stakes races at Century Downs on Monday shape up completely differently. You might need to throw a dart at the $100,000 Harvest Plate to find a winner, but it’s hard to get past Escape Clause in the $50,000 Lynn Chouinard Founders Distaff Handicap for fillies and mares.

The nine-race Canadian Thanksgiving card begins at 1:15 p.m. Mountain. The seven-furlong Harvest Plate goes as the last race and anchors a pick four that has a guaranteed pool of $15,000. The 1 1/16-mile Distaff drew 10 horses and goes as race 7.

Trainer Greg Tracy is looking for a big effort from Hemlock Channel in the 12-horse Harvest Plate. Last year, the Ontario-bred son of E Dubai feasted on a fast pace in the inaugural running of the richest race of the meet, and he should have plenty of speed to run at Monday.

Hemlock Channel isn’t as sharp as he was going into this race last year, but Tracy likes the way he is training following a third-place finish behind Sir Bronx in an open allowance race with a $45,000 claiming option Sept. 8.

“He likes it here, and he is doing great right now,” Tracy said. “It looks like there is a lot of speed, so it should set up for him. I just don’t know what the track will be like.”

Last week, Century Downs was buried under snow, and there are flurries in the forecast.

Hemlock Channel will break from post 6 with Quincy Welch riding.

Sir Bronx should be favored. Trained by Rick Hedge, he set a track record for seven furlongs in his win over Killin Me Smalls and Hemlock Channel on Sept. 8. The 5-year-old son of Bellamy Road opened up a short lead going down the backstretch, and it looked as though he was done when Killin Me Smalls went by him at the quarter pole. However, he regained his focus and edged Killin Me Smalls by three-quarters of a length.

Sir Bronx is versatile, and with other speed in the field, the multiple stakes winner will need a patient ride by Shamaree Muir, who retains the mount.

With a couple of Grade 3 wins and $715,015 in earnings, Killin Me Smalls is the class of the party. The Ernie Keller-trained 8-year-old isn’t as consistent as he once was, but he won the $50,000 Fred Jones Handicap at Northlands Park in June, and with a better-timed move, he may have edged Sir Bronx last time.

Speed will be provided by Irish Gold, Hot Rodin, and Hey Bro, who are all coming off front-running wins over easier company.

Escape Clause stands out in Distaff

Escape Clause hasn’t been tested in six straight wins, and the last time she ran in Alberta, she cruised to a 4 1/2-length victory over Victress in the $75,000 City of Edmonton Distaff at Northlands on Aug. 25.

Owned and trained by Don Schnell, Escape Clause will be ridden by Prayven Badrie for the first time in a 22-race career that has netted the 4-year-old Manitoba-bred filly 15 wins for earnings of $316,378. Renaldo Cumberbatch rode her to an easy victory in the $30,000 Matron Stakes at Assiniboia Downs on Sept. 7.

If there is a threat, it could come from the Monica Russell-trained Anstrum, who will be rolling late.