Northlands: Commander dominates Spangled Jimmy

Commander scored a convincing 3 1/2-length win over Footprint in the $50,000 Spangled Jimmy for 3-year-olds and up at Northlands Park Saturday. Commander was favored in the one-mile race and paid $4.70. He was ridden by Kentucky Derby/Preakness winning jockey Mario Gutierrez.

Commander looked comfortable sitting in the second flight during the early stages of the race. He moved between horses on the stretch turn, had three lengths to make up on Footprint at the top of the stretch, and finished full of run while drawing away from Footprint mid-stretch. Inhisglory finished third in the 10-horse field.

"I had a lot of horse the whole way," said Gutierrez.

Commander is trained by Dennis Terry and owned by Glen Todd. The final time was 1.39.00 over a track rated sloppy after a hard rain fell earlier in the card.

Alywyn takes John Patrick easily

Showing more speed than usual, Alywyn was an easy three- length winner of the $50,000 John Patrick for fillies and mares. She paid $6.70 as the second choice in the wagering behind Notoriously who finished fifth in the six-horse horse field.

Breaking alertly with Scott Williams aboard, Alywyn looked comfortable sitting just off of Hakuchi, who was carving out honest fractions in the one-mile race. She moved up to engage Hakuchi at the quarter pole and then quickly opened up a clear lead. She held a six-length length lead at the top of the stretch and was never threatened by Regaltigereyes, who rallied late to finish second. Fleet Mama finished third.

Final time was 1:38.40.

Alywyn is trained by Amber Meyaard and owned by Side Management Ltd.

Tracy, Riversedge take early stakes double

Trainer Greg Tracy and owner Riversedge Racing Stables Ltd. won the first two of four stakes at Northlands Park Saturday with Bosco in the $50,000 Edmonton Juvenile and Holy Reina in the $50,000 Princess Margaret for 2-year-old fillies. Both races were six furlongs.

Bosco paid $3.40 for his front-running win over Just Gone.

Bosco had complete control of the race after a half mile in 47 seconds He drifted a bit on the turn but easily held off Just Gone by 3 1/2 lengths. Oil Country rallied to finish third in the five-horse field.
The final time of the race was 1:12.80.

Heavily favored Holy Reina, ($3.60) dueled with her stablemate Tell Me Lies through quick fractions of 22.40 and 45.80 before drawing away to win by 3 1/4 lengths. Tell Me Lies held on to finish third in front of Silkworm, another Tracy-trained horse in the six-horse field.

The final time was 1:12.40 The track was rated fast at the time.