Red Parka Mary wheels right back in stokes feature

SASKATOON, Saskatchewan. - Red Parka Mary will be favored to go wire to wire in the first stakes event of the meeting, Friday's $5,000 Adesa Auto Glass Handicap for fillies and mares.

Red Parka Mary, whose lifetime earnings of $90,731 surpass the combined total of her five rivals here, recorded an easy front-running win just six days ago against $6,000 claiming mares. Trainer Pat Murphy obviously feels the race took little out of her and sends her right back at the same six-furlong distance.

Red Parka Mary has run every race except her last in Alberta. She won nine races there, including two last season for claiming prices of $17,500 and $22,000.

This spring, however, has been a different story as Red Parka Mary could only muster a fourth and a pair of 10th-place finishes at Stampede Park. While Red Parka Mary has won 10 races lifetime, she has just one second-place finish from her 20 other starts. The losses were mainly due to engaging in speed duels and faltering late.

The most logical filly to challenge Red Parka Mary early is Brite Steel, who won the half-mile allowance race for this division on opening weekend. Brite Steel was victorious here last year in the six-furlong Captain Stanley Harrison for 3-year-old fillies and has won six races lifetime.

Last year's top 3-year-old filly in Saskatchewan, She's Nifty, could benefit because of her stalking style. She's Nifty was the winner of the James Leakos and the Parkland Heritage, and was second in the Saskatchewan Derby last year, all at a mile or longer.

She's Nifty has run twice this year, including a fourth-place finish behind Brite Steel on opening day. She faced the top older horses on the grounds last Friday when finishing last of six, beaten 8 1/4 lengths.

Risky Stretch makes her first start of 2004, but was victorious at Northlands Park last year going one mile.