Killin Me Smalls starts season in sprint

Killin Me Smalls, who won the Grade 3 Premiers going 1 3/8 miles at Hastings in 2015 and 2016, will make his seasonal debut in a $35,000 optional-claiming sprint at Northlands on Friday.

The 7-year-old Ontario-bred also won the 1 3/8-mile Speed to Spare at Northlands in 2015, but he can sprint and figures to be favored in the six-furlong dash, which drew six horses.

Post time for the first of eight races is 6:30 p.m. Mountain.

Trained by Ernie Keller, Killin Me Smalls has won four of his eight starts at the distance, and one of his best races last year came going 6 1/2 furlongs in the $51,000 Sun Sprint Championship at Northlands. With Keishan Balgobin riding, he romped by 5 1/2 lengths and earned a 94 Beyer Speed Figure that equaled his highest on a fast track. The 95 Beyer he received for his win on a sloppy track in the 2015 Premiers is his career best.

Killin Me Smalls has compiled a 15-6-6 from 35 starts for earnings of $503,435, most of it earned for Keller, who on behalf of Deltin Stable and Ed Walsh, claimed him off Greg Tracy for $25,000 in 2014. Tracy, who won three races with him, had taken him off Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen out of a win for $17,500 at Fair Grounds earlier that year.

Keller is expecting the usual solid effort from the classy gelding Friday.

“He’s training great,” said Keller. “He worked 59 and change last Sunday, and he’s competitive at any distance. He’s another year older, but I don’t think he’s any slower.”

Killin Me Smalls drew post 2, with Balgobin retaining the mount.

KEY CONTENDERS

Killin Me Smalls, by Marcavelly

Last 3 Beyers: 77-81-80

◗ His five-furlong work in 59.40 seconds last Sunday was the best of 58 at the distance and probably tells us all we need to know about his readiness.

Hemlock Channel, by E Dubai

Last 3 Beyers: 78-73-73

◗ A winner of nine races on Polytrack and Tapeta at Woodbine, he will be racing on dirt for the first time. He reportedly thrived on the local surface when he worked a bullet five furlongs in 58.80 seconds last Friday.

◗ This will be his first start for Tracy, who won three races on opening day and has dominated the trainer standings at Northlands over the past few years.

FORMULATOR FACT: Over the past five years at Northlands, Tracy has a 43 percent strike rate and a $3.23 ROI with horses coming off a layoff of 180 days or longer and making their first start for him.