J Cs Action wont be easy to catch
SASKATOON, Saskatchewan J Cs Action faces King Rose for the third straight time here in Saturdays $25,000 Prairie Lily Sales Stakes at Marquis Downs. The 6 1/2-furlong Prairie Lily, for 2-year-old graduates of the local yearling sale, attracted a field of 10.
J Cs Action will face some adversity as he breaks from the outermost post position, but still should be the odds-on choice. Both of J Cs Actions victories came in stakes and King Rose ran second on each occasion.
First time out in the Harlequin, J Cs Action and King Rose dueled for the entire six furlongs before J Cs Action was able to extend his lead down the lane to score by a length. In the Western Heritage, J Cs Action again assumed the lead and was able to fend off King Rose, who sat in mid-pack early before putting in his run at the three-eighths pole. King Rose got to within a half-length of J Cs Action at the top of the stretch, but at the wire the margin was 1 3/4 lengths.
J Cs Action will be looking to control the pace once again in the Prairie Lily, while King Rose would benefit from a hotly contested early pace.
Striking Royale, who won the Woodland Heritage for fillies on the same card that J Cs Action won the Western Heritage, may be the one to force the issue early. Although her winning time in the Woodland Heritage was .80 of a second slower than J Cs Actions winning time, Striking Royale set every fraction after breaking from the 9-hole.
Trainer Al Hanson sends out a pair of local maiden victors in Danzig Park and Kaleys Kandy. Danzig Park won the first juvenile race of the meet, a half-mile sprint on July 11, while Kaleys Kandy won the second half-miler a week later.
Kaleys Kandy has not started since then, but Danzig Park travelled to Northlands Park and, although nine lengths behind the winner, was a closing fifth in an allowance race on Aug. 20.
Eskimo Still is the only other winner in the field as he closed impressively to win a six-furlong maiden race here last Saturday at first asking.