One good thing, one sure thing in CTHS Sales Stakes

Hastings invader Above the Moon looks like the one to beat in the colts and geldings division of the $50,000 CTHS Sales Stakes on Sunday at Century Downs.

Above the Moon is by no means a cinch in the seven-furlong dash, which drew seven 2-year-olds. The cinch is in the fillies division earlier in the card, where Pearl of Knowledge will be a short price over three horses in the seven-furlong sprint.

Post time for the first of 10 races is 1:45 p.m. Mountain.

First up is the fillies division, which goes as the third race.

Pearl of Knowledge, trained by Greg Tracy, is coming off a 5 3/4-length romp going 6 1/2 furlongs with Dane Nelson aboard in the $50,000 Sturgeon River on Sept. 15. The daughter of Cape Canaveral was under pressure by Music at Work for a half-mile before drawing away in the stretch.

In her previous race, Pearl of Knowledge finished sixth in the $51,000 Princess Margaret at Century Mile. She broke a step slowly leaving from the rail in the 6 1/2-furlong dash, and she also seemed to shy away from something when she took an odd step soon after the start.

“She started backing up when they sprung the gate,” Tracy said. “She likes the track here, and I loved the way she worked five furlongs last Friday.”

He was referring to Pearl of Knowledge’s bullet five-furlong work in 1:00 on Sept. 27.

She will break from post 3 with Nelson aboard.

Music of Work, trained by Craig Smith, and the Ernie Keller-trained Salsa Tango, who finished a distant third in the Sturgeon River, are part of the field.

The Tracy-trained Quinn Ella will break from the rail with Rico Walcott up. The British Columbia-bred daughter of Stephanotis is coming off a third-place finish in a maiden special weight race on Aug. 13 at Hastings.

“She can run a bit, but she got sick when she arrived here so I had to back off her, so she might come up short,” Tracy said. “Otherwise, I think she could give Pearl of Knowledge all she could handle.”

The colts and geldings division goes as the fifth race.

Above the Moon, trained by Phil Hall, is coming off a fourth-place finish after making a premature move in the $100,000 Jack Diamond Futurity on Sept. 22 at Hastings. In his previous start, he won the colts and geldings division of the $50,000 CTHS Sales Stakes on Aug. 30 at Hastings.

“He moved a little early in the Futurity, but he kind of had to the way the race was shaping up,” Hall said. “He came out of it in great shape, so here we are. He’s by Harbor the Gold out of a Malibu Moon mare, so he should run all day, let alone seven furlongs.”

Above the Moon will break from the outside post with Nelson up.

Dune d’Oro is coming off a front-running win with Walcott aboard in the $48,000 Alberta Premier’s Futurity on Sept. 15. The Smith-trained son of Atreides will break from the rail with Walcott up.

Bare Back Jack, trained by Tim Rycroft, is making his first start since he won the $56,000 Birdcatcher by a neck over Shanghai Mike on Aug. 25 at Century Mile.