Northlands Park: Tracy takes three shots at Two Year Old Sales Stakes

Trainer Greg Tracy has Saturday’s $50,000 Two Year Old Sales Stakes at Northlands Park surrounded, with three of the five horses entered coming out of his barn. The 6 1/2-furlong stakes for 2-year-old colts and geldings shares the stage with the Two Year Old Filly Sales Stakes, which drew five horses.

Tracy is expecting Old Top Hat, Second Hand News, and Artie’s Brother to improve when they run in the colts and geldings version.

Artie’s Brother looks like the one to beat coming off a much-better-than-it-looks third-place finish in the $50,000 Edmonton Juvenile, won by another Tracy-trained 2-year-old, True Thought.

Artie’s Brother blew the first turn in the Edmonton Juvenile and for a moment it looked like jockey Amie Pooli might pull him up. Instead, she persevered, and Artie’s Brother made a strong move around the second turn. He was too far behind to catch the winner, but he showed a lot of potential when he made his quick move.

“We changed some equipment on him and hopefully we have him straightened out,” Tracy said.

Tracy is hoping the addition of blinkers will help Old Top Hat and Second Hand News.

Old Top Hat looks like the one they will have to catch. Sent off as the odds-on favorite in his second start, Old Top Hat led most of the way but couldn’t hold off Lintlaw in a maiden special weight race going 5 1/2 furlongs July 22.

Second Hand News debuted in the same race and rallied to finish fourth.

Legend Fortynine, trained by Dale Saunders, looks like the main threat to the Tracy threesome. He rallied to finish second when he debuted in a maiden special weight race July 8.

Honey Candy the one to catch

Honey Candy could be tough to catch in the Two Year Old Filly Sales Stakes.

Trained by Robertino Diodoro, Honey Candy looked good winning a quickly run 3 1/2-furlong maiden special weight race with Pooli aboard July 20 and came back to work a bullet five furlongs in 1:01.40 on Aug. 2.

Broadway Empire tops derby noms

Broadway Empire heads the list of 17 3-year-olds nominated to the Grade 3, $200,000 Canadian Derby, which will be run next Saturday.

Broadway Empire couldn’t have been more impressive winning the $50,000 Ky Alta at Northlands and will have the home-field advantage over a strong group of horses coming from all over North America.

The connections of Title Contender are working out the logistics of bringing the Grade 3 Ohio Derby winner from Churchill Downs.

Reporting Star, second to Verrazano in the Grade 3 Pegasus at Monmouth Park, also is expected to run in the 1 3/8-mile race.