Secret Officer looks to build on prep win

Scrapping Sunday afternoon racing in favor of Wednesday evenings has been a hit so far for Assiniboia Downs, which has handled more than $180,000 on its first two midweek programs of the meeting.

That trend should continue Wednesday as Assiniboia presents an eight-race card that attracted a total of 73 entrants and includes the Golden Boy, the first stakes of the 2009 session.

The Golden Boy, a six-furlong race for 3-year-olds, offers a purse of $30,000 and attracted a field of nine.

Secret Officer, whose first five races came at Turf Paradise, debuted here with a 5 3/4-length score as the 8-5 choice in the five-furlong prep for the Golden Boy on May 18. Bred in Kentucky, Secret Officer is trained and co-owned by the nomadic Don Schnell, who has pitched his tent in Winnipeg for the first time this season.

Mike Iammarino retains the mount on Secret Officer, who will break from post 2 as the 122-pound highweight.

Polish Game stumbled at the start in the Golden Boy prep. He was cutting back sharply in distance after running third in the 1 1/8-mile Oregon Derby. He could turn the tables on Secret Officer under returning rider Lorren Delorme.

Cooler Online, who raced in Ontario last year, ended third when making his first local appearance in the prep and also could move forward in his first try for leading trainer Jared Brown. Richard Bowen has the call.

Copper Badges won the restricted North Dakota Futurity at six furlongs here last year. He was fourth in the prep and came back to finish second to a runaway winner under first-level allowance terms.

Bred in Manitoba by his owner, William Larson, Copper Badges is trained by Blair Miller and again will have leading rider Alan Cuthbertson in the irons.

Prayforthesoldiers disappointed in the prep, finishing a well-beaten fifth as the 5-2 third choice.

Trainer Aaron Saylor will be putting blinkers on Prayforthesoldiers, who also will have a new rider in David Lopez.