Rycroft has formidable duo in Northlands sprint

Holiday Babe makes her first start of the year in a $30,000 optional-claiming race for 3-year-old fillies at Northlands Park on Friday night. The six-furlong sprint attracted five horses, including Bet On Soup, who won the restricted $50,000 Sturgeon River last Sept. 21.

Holiday Babe should be favored. She ran four times as a 2-year-old and easily won both of her starts going six furlongs. In her first try in a two-turn sprint, she beat a good group of colts and geldings at Hastings on July 6. Andallthatitmeans, who finished second, came back to win the $50,000 B.C. Cup Nursery by more than 10 lengths and went on to win the $100,000 Jack Diamond Futurity.

Holiday Babe next shipped to Northlands, where she won the $52,000 Princess Margaret before being turned out for the year.

Rico Walcott retains the mount.

Holiday Babe, owned by Riversedge Racing Stables Ltd., will be making her first start for trainer Tim Rycroft. Riversedge transferred its horses to Rycroft after parting with Greg Tracy last winter.

Rycroft also will saddle Bet On Soup. After winning the Sturgeon River for Rycroft and owners Jim and Susan Hill, Bet On Soup finished fifth in her first route attempt in the one-mile Freedom of the City.

Strollin Home looks like the main threat to the Rycroft duo. Trained by Craig Smith, Strollin Home is the only horse in the field who has been racing this year and could have a decided fitness edge.

She won two races at Santa Anita before finishing seventh for trainer Rod Cone in a $40,000 optional-claiming race at Golden Gate Fields on April 5. Her first win at Santa Anita came in a $30,000 maiden-claiming race Feb. 2, and she came right back to win a $20,000 claiming race for 3-year-old fillies going seven furlongs March 16. She was claimed out of that race by Cone.

Pay to Go Home, also trained by Smith, closed out her 2-year-old season with a third in the Freedom of the City. In her previous race, she finished third in the Sturgeon River.

Pick a Prize completes the field.

◗ Saturday Nite Ride is being pointed to the $50,000 Wild Rose for fillies and mares May 17 following her 13-length romp in a $35,000 optional claimer last Friday.

“She was a little flat a couple of days after the race, but that’s to be expected from a horse that just shipped in,” said trainer Dennis Terry, who recently arrived from Hastings. “She just loves this track.”

In two starts at Northlands last year, Saturday Nite Ride easily won the Madamoiselle and the City of Edmonton.

◗ Despite blustery weather, the opening-day all-sources handle of $179,668 was up 23 percent over last year’s total of $146,507.