'Shaky' tops Sales Stakes

EDMONTON, Alberta - A Shaky Start, a multiple stakes winner of more than $300,000, towers over her four opponents in Friday's $50,000 Sales Handicap at Northlands Park.

This will be the first running of the one-mile race for fillies and mares, 4 and up, who went through the ring in a local yearling sale.

Owned by Janet and Gary Kropp and trainer Al Strumecki, A Shaky Start got her name after her mother died just after giving birth.

Although A Shaky Start had a difficult beginning to her life, the Alberta-bred has gone on to write an incredible story at Northlands and Stampede Park.

Last year, as a 3-year-old, A Shaky Start was the only filly to defeat eventual Canadian Derby winner Raylene in four starts here.

A Shaky Start opened her 2004 campaign with an impressive win over Raylene in the $40,000 M.R. Jenkins Memorial at Stampede Park. Raylene and A Shaky Start hooked up again in the $40,000 Ken Pearson Memorial on May 24, with Raylene winning and A Shaky Start finishing a distant third.

After finishing third to Raylene again three weeks later, A Shaky Start shipped here for the summer meet and has won two of five starts, including the $75,000 Fall Classic Distaff.

Regular rider Leanne Painter will be in the irons as A Shaky Start breaks from the outside post.