Mischeviousfighter tough to beat on Heritage Day

SASKATOON, Saskatchewan - Four $20,000 Heritage Stakes races, restricted to Saskatchewan-breds, make Saturday's card here at Marquis Downs the richest Heritage Day ever.

A total of 33 horses have been entered in the Heritage races. Fillies have their own races, six furlongs for the 2-year-olds and a mile for the 3-year olds, while colts and geldings run in their own events at those same distances.

The day's lowest-priced favorite should be Mischeviousfighter in the Shortgrass Heritage for 3-year-old males.

Mischeviousfighter is 5 for 5 over the Marquis oval, with four wins coming in stakes. With the exception of three subpar outings at Stampede Park this spring, Mischeviousfighter has done everything right. He has an average margin of victory of five lengths here, including a 10-length score in his last outing and a six-length victory in the juvenile Heritage event last year.

Mischeviousfighter easily won the Western Heritage last year as an even-money favorite, and Brilliant Action looks to do the same in this year's event.

Brilliant Action won his maiden in a half-mile sprint before winning the six-furlong Harlequin Stakes last time out, defeating Action Five both times. Action Five has not been entered here and that leaves Brilliant Action to face three first-time starters and five others who have not finished within seven lengths of him.

The Woodland Heritage for juvenile fillies should be Fiesty Cheetah's race to lose. Fiesty Cheetah debuted in the Gold Strike Stakes here Aug. 3 and stalked the pace before passing the speed down the backstretch and drawing clear for an eight-length victory.

Strawberry Sheen, the only other winner in the field, finished second that day and will have to improve to challenge Fiesty Cheetah for the top prize.

The most wide-open race is the Parkland Heritage for 3-year-old fillies.

Dorothy Hazel was the dominant juvenile filly here last year, winning the fillies division of the Saskatchewan Futurity and the Woodland Heritage before running second to Mischeviousfighter in the Prairie Lily Sales Stakes. This year, however, has been a different story for Dorothy Hazel.

She has had a pair of seventh-place finishes and she lost her jockey in her other start. That hardly put fear into her competitors and eight others will contest the race.

Included in the field are Kesko, Stay and Play, and Exit Stage North, the second- through fourth-place finishers in the Woodland Heritage last year.