Smarty River Pants improves to 3-0

Smarty River Pants remained undefeated with a decisive win over Coco Tiger in the $50,000 Birdcatcher Stakes at Northlands Park on Saturday.

He paid $3.10 for his 5 3/4-length victory in the 6 1/2-furlong race for 2-year-olds.

With Wilmer Galviz riding, Smarty River Pants broke alertly from the outside post in the seven-horse field and looked very comfortable while dogging Coco Tiger through a quick quarter-mile in 22.29 seconds. He started to take control at the quarter-pole, opened up a clear lead on the stretch turn, and was never threatened in another impressive performance. The Tim Rycroft-trained son of Afleet Alex has won his three races by a combined 17 3/4 lengths.

Coco Tiger held on well to finish second with Im Evin Im Leavin rallying late to pick up third.

The final time was 1:18.46.

“I knew he was going fast but the only horse I thought I had to beat was Coco Tiger,” Galviz said. “He was also doing it very easily.”

Rycroft was pleased with how the Riversedge Racing Stables Ltd. homebred behaved in the paddock. He had been a handful in his first two starts.

“We have been working with him and it really paid off,” Rycroft said. “He was much better behaved today.”

Northlands won’t conduct live racing again until next Saturday, when the Grade 3, $200,000 Canadian Derby headlines a 12-race closing-day card. It will be the last day of live thoroughbred racing at Northlands, which will close permanently following the upcoming harness meet, which begins Sept. 19 and concludes Oct. 27.

There will be a $50,000 guaranteed pool on the late Pick 4 with a mandatory payout.

Next year live racing in the Edmonton area will be at Century Mile, which is near the Edmonton International Airport.