Northnimprovement just too good

WINNIPEG, Manitoba - Northnimprovement, the only two-time winner in the field, will be tough to beat in Sunday at Assiniboia Downs in the $20,000 North Dakota Derby, a restricted race for 3-year-olds at one mile.

Trained by Chad Torevell, Northnimprovement won two restricted races last year from five starts. In his third start, Northnimprovement won the Thoroughbred Futurity at Fargo. He then ran twice here to end his 2-year-old campaign, finishing fourth in the restricted North Dakota Stallion Stakes before taking the North Dakota Futurity by 7 1/2 lengths in his final start.

This year, Northnimprovement has raced three times, all against first-level allowance company, finishing fifth, third, and fifth. Northnimprovement, who breaks from post 2, will be ridden by Rohan Singh for the first time Sunday.

Peacefull Sammy finished second behind Northnimprovement in the Thoroughbred Futurity at Fargo and will be making his local debut after three starts this year at minor tracks in North and South Dakota.

Firehawk, a maiden, will run with Lasix for the first time.

Also entered in the North Dakota Derby are May's Moon, Buffalo Alice, Could've Been Mine, and Le' Montague.

* Nominations closed Thursday for the July 10 Derby Trial Stakes, a 1 1/16-mile race. Prime T.V., beaten favorite in the Alberta Derby last time out, heads a list that includes Arthurlooksgood, Brinello, Cherokee Dancer, Kiss a Plenty, Pablo's Flash, Proficiency, Publicist, Raggidy Rowe, Resurgent, Stormy Business, and Whiskey Drive.