Northlands Park: That Voodoo Youdo shoud benefit from cutback

That Voodoo Youdo should appreciate the shorter distance and easier company when she returns to Northlands Park on Friday.

Trained by Greg Tracy, That Voodoo Youdo finished last after setting a quick pace when she made her seasonal debut in a $35,000 optional claimer over 6 1/2 furlongs at Hastings on April 30. She figures to be a short price in a 3 1/2-furlong, $30,000 claiming race that drew five fillies and mares and goes as the fifth race.

Prior to her last-place finish at Hastings, That Voodoo Youdo had done all of her running at Northlands, where she has been a gem of consistency sprinting. In six sprints in Alberta, the only time she finished worse than third was in her 2-year-old debut in 2009. She started 2010 with a win in a maiden special weight race and also won a first-level allowance race after a third-place finish in the $50,000 Chariot Chaser Stakes. Her only poor performance came in the one-mile Northlands Park Oaks, where she set the pace before tiring to finish last.

That Voodoo Youdoo set very fast fractions for a half-mile at Hastings and will be tough to beat if she leaves the starting gate alertly with Fernando Perez aboard.

Debie Ginsburg, trained by Gordon Amthor, is the only other horse in the field with a race this year. She probably wants more distance, but she may have tipped her hand with a bullet half-mile move in 47.80 seconds on April 26. Debie Ginsburg had a productive winter and spring while racing mostly at Parx Racing in Pennsylvania, where she compiled a 0-2-2- record from 5 starts for earnings of $18,660.

Salsa Express closed out 2010 with three wins. Her good speed could be dangerous leaving from the inside post.

Eye Scary went winless in five starts last year but finished the season with a strong performance, losing by a neck to Topasannah in the fillies division of the 3- and 4-year-old Sales Stakes. Courtly Slew rounds out the field.