Tracy looks to sweep Speed to Spare, Birdcatcher, Bird of Pay stakes
Greg Tracy appears to be in line for another big day at Northlands Park. The meet’s leading trainer, Tracy has won 12 of the 23 stakes races at the current meet and will saddle odds-on favorites in the three added-money races at Northlands on Monday.
Fall At Last is 1-5 on the morning line in the $50,000 Birdcatcher for 2-year-old colts and geldings, and Ruffenuff is 3-5 in the $50,000 Bird of Pay for 2-year-old fillies. Blue Dancer, at 3-5 in the $75,000 Speed to Spare, could be the most vulnerable. He is the best horse in the 1 3/8-mile race for 3-year-olds and up but is questionable at the distance. In his favor is that the six horses entered will carry equal weights at 126 pounds.
Blue Dancer also was nominated to the $75,000 S.W. Randall Plate at Hastings on Sept. 10 and would be running there if Killin Me Smalls had entered the Speed to Spare. However, Killin Me Smalls, who won the Speed to Spare and the Grade 3 Premier’s last year, will run in the Randall Plate instead.
Blue Dancer won the first three stakes at the meet for older horses before finishing sixth in the Westerner Handicap, where he was dueled into defeat by Killing Me Smalls, who won the 1 1/16-mile race.
“When we learned Killin Me Smalls wasn’t going to run here, we changed our plans,” said Tracy. “I don’t know if Blue Dancer wants to go this far, but if he doesn’t go too fast early, he might be able to hang on.”
The only time Blue Dancer went around four turns, he set a fast pace before finishing fifth in last year’s Grade 3, 1 3/8-mile Canadian Derby. Prior to his last start, his only losses came in graded races. He will break from the rail with Quincy Welch riding.
Royal Warrior almost took advantage of the duel in the Westerner, but his determined rally came up a neck short. A 6-year-old, Royal Warrior was eligible for a race for non-winners of two prior to arriving at Northlands this year and winning twice for trainer David Nicholson. Following his smart win over Kesler in an optional $25,000 claiming race July 8, he ran the race of his career in the Westerner.
Leading rider Rico Walcott retains the mount.
Go Max, trained by Joan Petrowski, is trending in the right direction with a fast-closing third in the Westerner. The 78 Beyer Speed Figure he received for this third-place finish as a 3-year-old in the 2014 Speed to Spare is easily the best figure in this field at the distance.
In the Birdcatcher, it is hard to imagine Fall At Last losing. With Keishan Balgobin aboard, he won his first two starts by a combined 25 1/4 lengths, and his second win came in the $50,000 Edmonton Juvenile, where he dominated the six-furlong race from start to finish.
Tracy didn’t believe it when the phone he used to clock Fall At Last’s four-furlong work Aug. 19 showed a sizzling time of 44.60 seconds.
“I thought I had messed it up, so I called the clocker,” said Tracy. “He told me the time was right and that he kept his watch going and caught him galloping out six furlongs in 1:08 and change. It was pretty impressive.”
Fall At Last drew the outside post in the four-horse field, with Balgobin retaining the mount.
Tracy said the Birdcatcher would be the last start at Northlands for Fall At Last.
“If he runs as expected, we’ll give him a try somewhere else,” he said. “He deserves a shot at a higher level.”
Xtreme Lyra has the best chance of filling out the exacta. Trained by Twylla Bensmiller, Xtreme Lyra followed his runner-up finish in the City of Edmonton with an easy win going 5 1/2 furlongs in a maiden special weight race Aug. 5.
Only three horses entered the Bird of Pay, which goes as the first race.
Ruffenuff debuted in the $55,000 Princess Margaret and won the six-furlong dash by 6 3/4 lengths with Ismael Mosqueira riding. She drew the outside post, with Welch picking up the mount.
Surging Star, undefeated in two starts for trainer Ron Grieves, looks like the main threat. Tidal Mist completes the field.