Stakes winners aplenty

CALGARY, Alberta - Just when the cry "Where are all the good horses?" was about to reach a new decibel level, they came out of the woodwork - not in droves, but enough to fill up a second straight strong card at Stampede Park.

Sunday's co-features are a $40,000 optional claimer at one mile for older horses (race 5) and a wide-open six-furlong allowance for the same age group (race 7), with a strong field of $22,000 claimers going a mile sandwiched between to the delight of pick four players.

Five of the seven horses in the fifth race are stakes winners.

Sparhawk and Plagiarist figure to be on the early lead, Candid Remark and Bear Character will be rolling late, and Ding Dong Dandy, Pickinontheolbanjo and Wye Red figure to receive stalking trips.

Jiffyjimmygee and Tyabering are both coming off wins and look tough in the sixth race, but Blue Comin Thru and Second Time Clever stretch out for the first time this year and have the credentials to post an upset.

Six of the eight runners in the seventh race are stakes winners. Two of them, Cool Synsation and Summer Sensation, will ensure a lively pace. Tejano Trouble, scratched from Saturday's Teeworth Plate to run in this spot, will try to make a late bid.

The 4-year-olds Hurricane Tiki, Howsitgoinghotshot, and Sin Toro make their first starts of the season and have been working well in the mornings.