Saturday Nite Ride a clear standout for John Patrick Stakes

At some point, weight will become an issue for Saturday Nite Ride, but she shouldn’t have any trouble packing the high weight of 125 pounds and spotting her rivals up to 10 pounds Friday in the $50,000 John Patrick Stakes at Northlands Park.

The one-mile race for fillies and mares drew four horses, but it is hard to see any of Saturday Nite Ride’s opponents putting any pressure on the talented 5-year-old mare. Due to her overwhelming presence, there will be no place or show wagering on the John Patrick, which goes as the second race.

Trained by Dennis Terry, Saturday Nite Ride has dominated all four of her races at Northlands Park and is coming off an easy four-length win over Tempered Sapphire going six furlongs May 17 in the $49,000 Wild Rose Handicap. Last year, she scored back-to-back wins going 1 1/16 miles in the $50,000 Madamoiselle Stakes and the $75,000 City of Edmonton Distaff, so she won’t have any trouble going around three turns for the first time this year.

The only time she ran the one-mile distance of the John Patrick, she earned a career-best 85 Beyer Speed Figure while carrying 124 pounds to victory in a maiden special weight race in February 2013 at Santa Anita.

Saturday Nite Ride drew the rail, where Quincy Welch likely will put her right on the lead.

Tempered Sapphire romped to a 5 1/2-length win in the John Patrick last year, and trainer Rod Cone is expecting another strong performance Friday. She is coming off a big effort in her first start this year in the Wild Rose, in which she rallied to finish second.

“We’re going to try and run her down,” Cone said, referring to Saturday Nite Ride. “My horse is training great right now, and I just wish there was more speed in the field.”

Can she beat Saturday Nite Ride? Probably not. She wasn’t a real threat in the Wild Rose, and she lost by a combined 27 lengths in the Madamoiselle and City of Edmonton last year.

Silkworm tried to pressure Saturday Nite Ride in the Wild Rose and paid the price, tiring to finish fourth in the five-horse field.

Portofappeal is coming off a sharp win in a $17,500 claiming race going six furlongs May 17 and would need to improve dramatically to pull off an upset.