Saturday Nite Ride intimidating presence in Madamoiselle

Saturday Nite Ride will try to keep her undefeated record at Northlands Park intact when she carries 128 pounds in the $50,000 Madamoiselle Handicap on Friday. Because of her outstanding record at Northlands, just three horses will line up against her in the 1 1/16-mile race for fillies and mares, which goes as the second race.

Sharing the spotlight on the eight-race card is the $50,000 Northlands Oaks, which drew a field of nine 3-year-old fillies.

Last year, Saturday Nite Ride shipped in from Hastings and carried 118 pounds to easily win the Madamoiselle in her first start at Northlands. She came back with another front-running win in the City of Edmonton before returning to Hastings where she finished third in the Delta Colleen. She was turned out for the year after running eighth in the Grade 3 Ballerina.

She is a different horse at Northlands, though. In her first start this year, she romped by 13 lengths over Tell Me Lies going six furlongs in an optional claiming race, and then was untested in both the Wild Rose and John Patrick.

She didn’t break a sweat in her one-mile workout carrying 125 pounds in the $49,000 John Patrick on June 6. With Quincy Welch aboard, she broke on top and cruised to a 5 1/4-length win over Portofappeal.

Trainer Dennis Terry loves the way Saturday Nite Ride has been training leading up to the Madamoiselle.

“When she came off the track Tuesday morning, I thought it was the best she’s ever looked,” he said. “She runs well fresh, so the short break doesn’t bother me, and she couldn’t have worked any better when she went five furlongs last Friday.”

Six-time stakes winner Tell Me Lies has compiled an excellent record of 9-3-0 from 14 starts and she won her last two starts by a combined 14 1/2 lengths. Her trainer, Greg Tracy, didn’t sound too optimistic about her chances in the Madamoiselle, though.

“We know were up against it, plus our filly wants to be in front, and we really don’t have an option of taking her back,” Tracy said. “Hopefully they won’t get too carried away up front.”

Tempered Sapphire won the John Patrick last year and could be coming up to a peak effort in her third start of the year. Portofappeal, a sharp winner of a $25,000 optional race on June 25, completes the field.

Via Bendita sharp for Oaks

Via Bendita looks like the one to beat in the one-mile Northlands Oaks. Trained by Rod Cone, Via Bendita has thrived since she arrived at Northlands this spring, winning three of four starts.

In her last start, she rallied from a stalking position to edge Holiday Babe in the $48,000 Red K. Smith Handicap June 20.

“She really didn’t show a lot of interest until we stretched her out to a mile,” Cone said. “She’s doing really well right now, and she will take a run at them.”

Trainer Greg Tracy has two in the Northlands Oaks, Cleanslate and Consecrate. Cleanslate used her good speed to score a front-running win in a first-level allowance race June 18. It was just her third start and she will be trying a middle distance for the first time.

In her first start for Tracy, Consecrate finished third after getting too far behind the slow pace in the Red K. Smith.

“I’m sure the pace will be a lot quicker in the Oaks,” Tracy said. “Cleanslate is certainly bred to go long, and if she can get an easy lead she could be hard to run down. Consecrate seems to have improved since she ran, and I’m sure she’ll be a lot closer to the pace this time.”