Northlands: Shot for Grandpa looks sharp

Shot for Grandpa looks like the one to beat when he makes his first start of the year at Northlands Park Sunday.

Shot For Grandpa figures to garner strong support due to his bullet four-furlong move in 47.80 seconds April 26. Throw in the fact he is trained by last year’s leading trainer Robertino Diodoro and there is an excellent chance he will be favored in the $15,000 claiming race for 3-year-olds and up that have never won two races. The 3 1/2-furlong dash drew six horses and goes as race five on the eight-race card.

Shot for Grandpa, who runs well fresh, is making his first start since he finished last going six furlongs in a first-level allowance race for 3-year-olds last July. In 2009 he just missed when he debuted in a 3 1/2-furlong maiden special weight race, and in his next start, which came in 2010, he won a similar race. In two subsequent tries in two-turn sprints he flashed good speed for a half-mile before fading.

Stephan Heiler rides Shot for Grandpa.

Sir Sits a Lot, the lone 3-year-old in the field, attracts the services of apprentice Scott Williams, who got off to a hot start at Hastings with 4 wins from 14 mounts. Trained and owned by Dale Schaffrick, Sir Sits a Lot won a $12,000 maiden claiming race for Alberta-breds in his only start at 2.

Would I Would I posted a bullet three-furlong move on April 11 and could be ready for a big effort for coming off the bench trainer Robbin Martens. A 4-year-old California-bred, Would I Would I has done his best running on the synthetic Tapeta surface at Golden Gate, including a win when he debuted in a $32,000 maiden claiming race there in 2009. He went unplaced in two starts at Northlands last year.

Pros or Joes has speed and could put it to good use from the rail. Offlee Fancee and Ferion Sky round out the field.