Northlands Park: Bosco returns with top rider on board

Bosco will try and stay undefeated when he comes back from a long layoff in a second-level allowance race at Northlands Park on Wednesday. The six-furlong race for 3-year-olds and up drew six horses and goes as the second of eight races carded. Post time for the first race is 6 p.m Mountain.

Bosco ran away and hid from his opposition in both of his races as a 2-year-old last year. Trained by Greg Tracy, he broke on top and never looked back while romping by seven lengths when he debuted in a maiden special weight going 3 1/2 furlongs on July 4, 2012. He came back with another dominating performance 17 days later in the $50,000 Edmonton Juvenile, but hasn’t raced since.

Bosco has been working steadily leading up to his return, and he will be ridden by leading rider Rico Walcott. Bosco drew the rail, where Walcott figures to make good use of his mount’s substantial speed.

Soul de Naskra is 2 for 2 at Northlands and is an obvious threat following a win at this level Aug. 5. Trained by Rod Cone, Soul de Naskra was running above his conditions when he came from a stalking position to beat Northern Yankee in the 6 1/2-furlong sprint. He came from 13 lengths behind to win a maiden special weight race in his previous start. Acting on behalf of Rodney Marks, Cone claimed Soul de Naskra for $20,000 out of the second start in his career at Golden Gate on Feb. 1.

Catchtheconnection finished second in all three of his starts this year, and they all came at this level. Trained by Jennifer Shafer, Catchtheconnection lost by a head to Call Me Lou going 6 1/2 furlongs in his first start at the meet June 21 and then couldn’t catch Rum Ruckus going six furlongs July 12. In his latest race, he made a strong move at the quarter pole but once again ended up settling for the minor award in the one-mile race.

Swiss Idol won his first two races at the meet for trainer Red Smith before forcing the pace and tiring to finish third in Rum Ruckus’s win over Catchtheconnection on July 12. He should appreciate the move back to a sprint after forcing the issue before tiring to finish fifth in the same race Catchthconnection exits.

Swiss Idol also could improve as a second-time Lasix user, and he gets some weight off with leading apprentice Amie Pooli picking up the mount from Walcott.