Killin Me Smalls proves uncatchable in Westerner

EDMONTON, Alberta - Killin Me Smalls took advantage of a speed-favoring track to upset heavily favored For Cash by 4 1/2 lengths in the Westerner at Northlands Park on Saturday. The shape of the 1 1/16-mile race for 3-year-olds and up changed dramatically when the top older horse at Northlands, Commander, was a vet scratch in the morning.

Killin Me Smalls ($27) didn’t break that sharply with Ruben Lara riding, but he moved up quickly and was within a half-length of Aces Again after a half-mile in 47.51 seconds. He started to assert himself on the stretch turn, held a three-length lead over Aces Again heading into the stretch, and never looked threatened while easily holding off For Cash, who had a perfect trip stalking trip. Aces Again held on to finish third.

“The plan was if he breaks good, we go to the front,” said Lara. “It felt like I had a lot of horse the whole way and when I decided to move him, he really took off. He is a very gutsy horse.”

The final time was 1:43.43.

Killim Me Smalls is trained by Ernie Keller. Acting on behalf of Ed Welsh and Deltin Stable, Keller claimed him for $25,000 on July 12. In his first start for his new connections, Killin Me Smalls was eliminated at the start in the $56,000 Sun Sprint Handicap on Aug. 4.

Earlier on the 13-race Canadian Derby card, Time for a Memory came from a stalking position to win the $48,500 Sonoma. She paid $13.80 as the third choice in the 1 1/16-mile race for 3-year-old fillies.

It was the fourth-straight win for Time for a Memory, a Tim Rycroft-trained daughter of Time to Get Even.

With Chris Russell aboard, Time for a Memory had a perfect trip. She broke alertly and then stalked Far Niente and Aviddiva , who dueled through honest fractions of 23.16 and 47.25 seconds. When Far Niente started to drop back heading to the quarter pole, Time for a Memory moved into serious contention and took over the lead on the stretch turn. She held a half-length advantage over Avvidiva turning for home and maintained her advantage to the wire. Heavily favored Habida also had a perfect trip, sitting just off the winner most of the way. She made a threatening move on the stretch turn but wasn’t able to maintain her momentum and finished third.

In her last two wins in $20,000 claiming races, Time for a Memory was on the lead right from the start.

“She was just much the best running against claiming horses,” said Russell. “She had to work a little harder here, but she had her confidence up and she was happy to sit behind the speed.”

Owned by Ed Maier, Time for a Memory posted a final time of 1:46.87.