No clear favorite in Sprint

EDMONTON, Alberta - The absence of Smudgeledo, who is sidelined with a suspensory problem, has given Monday's $50,000 Sun Sprint Championship a wide-open look at Northlands Park.

Cool Bender, coming off a pair of allowance victories, is the highweight at 118 pounds in the field of six.

In his only stakes appearance this year, Cool Bender was seventh in the Stampede Park Sprint Championship. He will be opposed by two invaders from Vancouver in the 6 1/2-furlong feature.

Commodore Craig is coming off a second and a third in $65,000 and $50,000 optional claimers at Hastings.

Bound to be M V P, trained by Brian Giesbrecht, will make his first start since a third and fifth in a pair of winter stakes at Santa Anita. Bound to Be M V P has had only five lifetime outings, including a 2005 stakes win at Hastings.

Blowin in the Wind, making his second start for trainer Dale Greenwood, had won three times at Hastings since finishing fifth in Stampede's Teeworth Plate.

Blowin in the Wind was second to Cool Bender in an optional claiming sprint here three weeks ago.

Both Golden Hunt and Hot Talk are looking for their first win of the season. Golden Hunt's best outing was a third in an allowance, while Hot Talk was third to Smudgeledo in the Journal Handicap.