Plagiarist the class of sprint

Plagiarist and Ramly look like the major players in the feature race at Northlands Park on Saturday. The six-furlong sprint for 3-year-olds and up running for a $22,000 claiming price attracted seven horses and goes as the seventh race.

Plagiarist, who is trained by Jim Meyaard, ships in from Fonner Park where he had three starts at the recently concluded meet. His best race was a fourth-place finish in a six-furlong $20,000 optional race on March 27. In his most recent outing he finished fifth for the same condition going 6 1/2 furlongs on April 26.

Plagiarist has plenty of back class. He is the top money earner in the field with $178,112, and he has performed well in Alberta. He won the Stampede Park Sprint Championship in 2007, and his lone win last year was in a $40,000 optional race at Northlands last July.

Rickey Walcott rides Plagiarist.

Ramly spent the winter at Oaklawn Park and he is stepping up in class after a seventh-place finish in a key race for $16,000 claimers on March 27. The winner, Independence War, came back to win a $40,000 optional race at Oaklawn on April 10. Ramly is trained by Robertino Diodora.

Shpeen will be making his first start of the year, and is trained by Carla Chrisoffersen.

A 4-year-old Ontario-bred gelding, Shpeen closed out 2008 in sharp form, winning two of his last three starts, all at Woodbine. In his final start last year he finished second in a $10,000 claiming race on Nov. 28. Shpeen showed tactical speed while racing exclusively over Polytrack, and it will be interesting to see how his form holds up in his first start on dirt.