Schnell in position to sweep CTHS Sales Stakes

Trainer Don Schnell has an excellent chance of winning both divisions of the CTHS Sales Stakes at Century Downs, near Calgary, on Sunday. Both races are worth $50,000 and will be run at 6 1/2 furlongs.

The Schnell-trained Escape Clause will be a short price in the fillies division, and Langara, also trained by Schnell, will vie for favoritism with Golden Oldie in the colts and geldings division.

The fillies division drew nine horses and goes as race 8 on the nine-race card, which begins at 12:50 p.m. Mountain.

Escape Clause dominated the 3-year-old filly division at Assiniboia Downs this year, with her only loss in eight starts at the meet coming against the boys in the $75,000 Manitoba Derby. She had a one-length lead at the eighth pole, but couldn’t hold off Plentiful in the 1 1/8-mile race.

“She’s a freak,” Schnell said. “The derby was the first time we got to the bottom of her, and I think she could have won the race if she had to work a little harder in any of her previous races.”

Schnell was pleased with her half-mile move in 50.60 seconds over the new Century Downs surface Sept. 29.

“She loved the track,” he said. “It is a nice surface and the turns aren’t as sharp as I thought they would be.”

The Manitoba-bred daughter of Going Commando has good speed, but can stalk. Adolfo Morales was her rider at Assinboia Downs this year. She will break from post 6 with Antonio Whitehall picking up the mount.

:: Breeders' Cup PP packages: Get PPs, betting strategies, DRF+ Pro access, and more

The main threats to Escape Clause are Onestaratatime and Anstrum.

Onestaratatime, trained by Greg Tracy, is coming off a runner-up finish going 1 1/16 miles in the$50,000 Fall Classic Distaff at Northlands Park on Sept. 16.

Anstrum will appreciate the easier company after finishing last of eight in the $100,000 British Columbia Oaks, won by the sensational Daz Lin Dawn. In her previous start she won the $82,000 Sonoma for trainer Monica Russell at Northlands on Aug. 19.

The colts and geldings division shapes up as a battle between Langara and Golden Oldie.

Langara is coming off a fifth-place finish in an open allowance race at Century Downs on Sept. 23. He lost by 2 3/4 lengths in the seven-furlong dash, which featured the top older horses in Alberta, including two-time Grade 3 winner Killin Me Smalls, who finished last.

Golden Oldie, trained by Tim Rycroft, was the runner-up going 6 1/2 furlongs in the $50,000 Red Dial Express at Northlands on Sept. 16.