Nice mix of horses in Valliere Memorial

FORT ERIE, Ontario - Sunday's eight-race card at the Fort will be highlighted by the $28,750 Don Valliere Memorial Cup, a six-furlong dash for horses who have started two or more times here in 2009.

Eleven runners will go to post and the combination of route runners cutting back to six furlongs and sprinters mixing it up should make this dash an entertaining event.

Great Addiction, a 7-year-old gelding with a bankroll of over $335,000, and Judiths Wild Rush, an 8-year-old millionaire, are two recent routers who will give the sprint types a run for the money.

Great Addiction, with leading rider Rui Pimentel in the saddle, romped in his last two routes after pressing the early pace. In both races he was going away at the finish.

Judiths Wild Rush chased Great Addiction to the wire in his last race and will be looking to turn the tables. It has been some time since he last sprinted but he has won over $225,000 at this distance in his career. Kris Robinson will take the reins.

On the sprinter side of the ledger, three runners appear to stand out.

Harveys Victor has won 3 of 6 going this distance and wired the field in his latest start. Sunny Singh will retain the mount.

Spread the News won two dirt dashes this year with apprentice Melanie Pinto aboard and will be moving from turf to dirt for this race.

Wild Diamond, a hard-trying 5-year-old gelding, brings a solid sprint record into the fray.

Another to consider is Break Even. In a sprint race here in early June, Break Even came from off the pace to win by seven lengths. Regular rider Mike McMullen will be asking this closer for his run when they turn for home.

* Chocolateforlunch's victory in the $28,750 Fort Erie Slots Cup last Sunday was his sixth win in six starts over this track.

* Coming into Sunday's card, John Simms and Mike Newell are tied atop the trainer standings at mid-season at the Fort, both with 18 wins. Nick Gonzalez has 17 scores, and still in the hunt are conditioners Daryl Ezra (16) and Lyle Morden (14).

In the jockey standings, Pimentel has more than twice the number of wins (54) of the runner-up, Pinto (26).