Holy Force tries to improve her route credentials in Friday feature

Holy Force looks like a standout in a $20,000 claiming race that will serve as Friday’s feature at Northlands Park. The one-mile race for 3-year-old fillies drew six horses and goes as the second race. Post time for the first race is 6:30 p.m. Mountain.

The lone concern regarding Holy Force is that the only time she went around three turns, she took a four-length lead into the stretch and couldn’t hold off Cherokee Windsong in a one-mile, $22,000 maiden-claiming race July 4. She did hold on well to finish a clear second, though, and she came back with two sharp wins in her next two sprints. Even if she is slightly suspect at the distance, none of her five opponents has won a race longer than 6 1/2 furlongs.

Trained by Greg Tracy, Holy Force certainly has the pedigree to handle a middle distance. She is out of Ceiling, a middle-distance winner on turf who has produced four route winners. The longest-winded of the four is Take Her Tothe Top, who won the $75,000 Mrs. Ogden Phipps going 2 1/16 miles over hurdles on the Saratoga turf course last year. Take Her Tothe Top also won three middle-distance races on turf at Belmont and Aqueduct.

KEY CONTENDERS

Holy Force (Last 3 Beyers: 59-52-48)

◗ She seems to have improved since she lost as the heavy chalk in her lone route attempt, and she should get a nice trip sitting off speed that doesn’t figure to last.

◗ Damario Bynoe, who recently lost his bug, retains the mount, and he has won with 9 of his 16 mounts (56 percent) from Tracy at the current meet.

◗ DRF FORMULATOR FACT: Over the past five years, Tracy has a 14 percent strike rate with horses at Northlands who were going from a sprint to a route.

Rouge On Rouge (Last 3 Beyers: 55-39-36)

◗ Trained by Red Smith, Rouge On Rouge earned her career-best Beyer Speed Figure in her latest start in a key $20,000 claiming race for 3-year-old fillies going 1 1/16 miles.

◗ She could improve as a second-time Lasix user, and leading rider Rico Walcott picks up the mount from Bynoe, who understandably sticks with Holy Force.

Saint Sassy Sue (Last 3 Beyers: 39-0-28)

◗ The Amber Buniak trainee looks like the one they will be chasing, and being a first-time Lasix user, she might be able to carry her speed long enough to work her way into the exotics.