Tracy holds strong hand in all four stakes
Trainer Greg Tracy is having a banner year at Northlands Park and figures to embellish his record substantially on Saturday, when he will send out the morning-line favorite in all four of the $50,000 handicaps being offered: the Wild Rose (race 2), Journal (race 4), Chariot Chaser (race 6), and Western Canada (race 7). Each race will be run at six furlongs.
First up is the Wild Rose for fillies and mares, and Eustacia figures to be a short price against four rivals. Tracy had her primed for a big effort coming off the bench in an optional $35,000 claiming race May 6. With Dane Nelson aboard, she broke on top and never looked back, posting a four-length win over Queenoftheforest, also trained by Tracy and also entered in the Wild Rose.
Tracy was straightforward about Eustacia’s chances Saturday.
“She beat most of the horses she’s running against pretty easily, and she came out of the race in great shape,” he said.
Nelson is back aboard Eustacia.
The only new shooter in the field is Hero’s Amor, who won the $100,000 British Columbia Oaks at Hastings last year for trainer Tim Rycroft. This will be her first start since she finished last of eight going six furlongs in an optional $62,000 claiming sprint at Golden Gate Fields on Dec. 13.
Tracy has two of the five horses entered in the Journal Handicap for 3-year-olds and up, but he said Midnite Poppa probably won’t run. That leaves Blue Dancer, who was the top 3-year-old at Northlands last year and just didn’t want any part of 1 3/8 miles or Academic when he ran fifth in the Grade 3 Canadian Derby. Academic came back to win the Grade 3 British Columbia Derby and was voted the champion 3-year-old filly in Canada.
Blue Dancer, who is 3 for 3 at six furlongs, will be making his first start since finishing third in the B.C. Derby. He drew the rail, where Quincy Welch figures to put him into the race right from the start.
“He’s training well, but he is facing a few nice older horses,” said Tracy. “Clear the Runway and Red Red Rose both had races, and they ran well.”
Red Red Rose and Clear the Runway are trained by Rycroft. Red Red Rose figures to press the issue early, and Clear the Runway could pick up the pieces from a stalking position.
For Cash, trained by Dale Greenwood, is the most accomplished horse in the field but may want more distance. A multiple stakes winner with $442,042 in earnings, For Cash was the runner-up in the Journal in 2015. Later in the year, he won the $60,000 Fred Jones and the $64,000 Westerner going around three turns.
C U At Eau Claire will be making her first start at Northlands in the $50,000 Chariot Chaser, which drew seven 3-year-old fillies. Racing for Tracy at Hastings last year, C U At Eau Claire won three stakes, including the $100,000 Sadie Diamond Futurity.
“She’s a B.C.-bred, so we’ll probably head back to Vancouver at some time,” said Tracy. “They are a bit tougher at Hastings, so I thought it would be a good idea to get her started here.”
C U At Eau Claire drew the rail, where Welch should be able to make good use of her substantial speed. If C U At Eau Claire doesn’t fire, Tracy has solid chances with Onestaratatime and Absolutely Fabulous.
The main threat to the Tracy threesome is Bootleggers Wife, who is making her seasonal debut.
Trained by Rycroft, Bootleggers Wife romped in all three of her sprints last year, including the $55,000 Princess Margaret and the $51,000 Bird of Pay. Her only loss came in October, when she was the runner-up to Leena going around three turns in the one-mile, $50,000 Freedom of the City.
Leena, trained by Robert MacDonald, also is in the Chariot Chaser field. She will be making her first start since the Freedom of the City.
Closing out the stakes festival is the Western Handicap for 3-year-olds, which drew six horses. Tracy likes the chances of his entrant, Reason for Being.
Last year, Reason for Being easily handled Kristofferson in a maiden special weight race before finishing fifth as the 4-5 favorite in the $100,000 Jack Diamond Futurity at Hastings. In his first start this year, he led all the way in a first-level allowance May 7.
“He’s had a race, and he should move forward,” said Tracy.
Reason for Being faces Kristofferson again on Saturday.
After his runner-up finish to Reason for Being in his debut, Kristofferson came back to win a maiden special weight race and the $59,000 Birdcatcher. Trained by Rycroft, he closed out his juvenile campaign with a second-place finish going 1 1/16 miles in the $75,000 Ascot Graduation at Hastings.
Law Master will be making his first start at Northlands and his first for trainer Dale Saunders. He ran the race of his life when he won a first-level allowance race at Turf Paradise by eight lengths on April 6, earning an 83 Beyer Speed Figure.