Shipper 'Satin' one to beat

SASKATOON, Saskatchewan - A full field of 10 2-year-olds, headed by ship-in Swing in Satin, will compete in Sunday's $27,000 Prairie Lily Sales Stakes at Marquis Downs.

Because she is a filly, Swing in Satin runs for a purse of $36,000 due to an incentive built into the Canadian Thoroughbred Horse Society's Saskatchewan yearling sale. All horses in the race are graduates of the 2000 sale, and they will compete over about seven furlongs in the richest race on the Marquis Downs calendar.

Swing in Satin was pinhooked out of the Barretts January sale for $4,700 and then went through the local sale to become eligible for the Prairie Lily. A California-bred by Siberian Summer, Swing in Satin has run four times, winning her maiden over 3 1/2 furlongs at Stampede Park May 30 and finishing third in the July 22 Debutante at Assiniboia Downs.

Most recently, in Northlands Park's Princess Margaret, Swing in Satin ran fourth behind Sly Lady, who won the race by 11 lengths. Peter Wong comes from Alberta to ride Swing in Satin for trainer Red Smith.

Heading the local runners are Britts Express and Good Old Sprite, the top two finishers from the Western Heritage.

Britts Express stalked the pace and closed well to score by three-quarters of a length. Rick Stevens will ride.

Good Old Sprite finished second in the Western Heritage for the third time in as many starts, all in stakes.

He was runner-up to the good filly Royal Brittany in the Larry Lashyn Futurity after missing by a neck in the male split of the Saskatchewan Futurity. Walter Ramos Jr. rides.

Others in with a chance are Slew Express, third in the Western Heritage after setting the early fractions; Gatopresson, a huge gelding who closed well to be third in the Lashyn in his last start; Remarkable Odyssey, last year's sale topper at $9,000; and Duchess Dela Fille, a striking daughter of top Western stallion Regal Remark who also ships over from Alberta.