Ruby's Big Band seeks fourth win at track

Ruby's Big Band, undefeated in three starts at Assiniboia Downs last season, will return Friday for the Chantilly Stakes.

The Chantilly, for 3-year-old fillies, is one of two stakes on the card; both are worth $30,000 and contested over six furlongs. The Frank J. Arnason, for Manitoba-sired colts and geldings, is the supporting feature.

Ruby's Big Band captured the 5 1/2-furlong Debutante against fillies and then defeated males in the six-furlong Osiris and six-furlong Winnipeg Futurity

A Texas-bred filly trained by Charles Smith, she added a fourth stakes win in the six-furlong Pepsi at Fonner Park this spring and comes into the Chantilly off a sixth-place finish in an open allowance race at Lone Star.

Rohan Sing has the mount on Ruby's Big Band, who will break from post 2 and is easily the top money winner in the lineup with $106,783.

Honorable Lady, second to Ruby's Big Band in each of her three stakes wins at Assiniboia, was a game winner when competing under second-level allowance terms in her season debut May 14. She will make her first start for trainer Tom Gardipy Jr. and will be ridden again by Janine Stianson from post 3.

Island of Zen would be no surprise as she makes her local debut for trainer Robertino Diodoro. She was claimed for $25,000 from a winning effort at Hollywood Park on May 5, Island of Zen's third win from seven career outings. She has worked swiftly in Winnipeg for her first try under jockey Vicky Baze.

Gorgeous Goomah and Lady Eddington come into the Chantilly off first-level allowance scores over this oval.

In the Arnason, Mt. Charles is the only winner in the eight-horse field. Trained by Chad Torevell, Mt. Charles graduated at five furlongs last August and will be taking the blinkers off following a sixth-place finish in his second start of this season.