Zippity Zap heads strong Craig Smith contingent in Alberta Fall Classic Day stakes

Trainer Craig Smith is looking forward to Alberta Fall Classic Day at Century Mile on Sunday. And why not?Smith has more than one live horse entered in the seven $40,000 stakes races restricted to Alberta-breds, which make up the bulk of a 12-race card that begins at 5:15 p.m. Mountain.

Smith also is a board member of the local Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association and was pleased to announce a 10 percent purse increase at Century Mile.

“It is due to the strong simulcast wagering,” he said.

“The betting on our live product is up about 400 percent,” Century Mile racing manager Matt Jukich said. “We are looking at another good day Sunday. We have our usual $25,000 guarantee on the late pick four, and it’s a good sequence.”

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The late pick four begins in the ninth race. It is a tough sequence that includes three stake races.

The Alberta Breeders’ Classic for 3-year-olds and up is the first stakes race on the card. It drew five horses and goes as the third race with the Smith-trained Zippity Zap the one to beat.

Zippity Zap won the 1 1/16-mile Classic the previous two years at Century Downs and was the runner-up to For Cash at Northlands Park in 2017.

In his most recent start, he finished second going 6 1/2 furlongs in an allowance race for Alberta-breds on Aug. 21. It was just the second start of the year for the 7-year-old gelding by Ghostzapper.

“I really like the way he is coming up to the race,” said Smith who the past five years has a 21 percent strike rate and $2.23 return on investment with horses going from a sprint to a route.

Zippity Zap will break from the inside post with Rico Walcott riding.

The main threat is Shim Shine, who beat Zippity Zap going seven furlongs in a conditioned allowance race with a $35,000 claiming option Aug. 2. The Elige Bourne-trained 5-year-old is coming off a fifth-place finish in the $40,000 Spangled Jimmy, also at seven furlongs, on Aug. 16.

Smith has an excellent chance of winning the Alberta Oaks with Music At Work, who is coming off a 3 1/2-length win over Pearl of Knowledge in the $40,000 Sonoma on Aug. 14.

None of the six horses entered in the 1 1/16-mile race has won going a middle distance. Smith thinks Music At Work will be fine in her first route attempt.

“She can rate, and I heard they were going to send Pearl of Knowledge, so she should get a nice trip sitting off the speed,” he said.

Antonio Whitehall rides Music At Work, who will break from the inside post.

Pearl of Knowledge, trained by Tim Rycroft, is the 4-5 morning-line favorite despite her loss to Music At Work in the seven-furlong Sonoma.

Bar No Q will try to defend his title in the Red Diamond Express Handicap. The six-furlong dash for 3-year-olds and up drew seven horses and appears to be a wide-open event.

Trained by Ron Grieves, Bar No Q is looking for his first victory since he won the $113,000 Harvest Gold Plate on Oct. 14. The 6-year-old gelding by Gayego has not won in eight starts at Century Mile, but blinkers are going on, and with a bullet five furlongs in 58 seconds on Aug. 30, Grieves appears to have Bar No Q primed for a big effort.

The eight 2-year-old fillies entered in the Sturgeon River are maidens.

The Jerri Robertson-trained Bound to Be Smart looks like the one to catch and beat in the six-furlong sprint.

With Walcott riding, the daughter of Flat Out set a fast pace before settling for second when she debuted in a maiden special weight race for Alberta-breds going five furlongs Aug. 16.

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Walcott will be aboard when she breaks from the outside post. Catch her if you can.

Walcott also rides Maskewcis, the 8-5 morning-line favorite in the Beaufort, which has nine 3-year-olds going 1 1/16 miles.

Maskwecis will try to make amends for his third-place finish as the favorite in the $40,000 Count Latham. Trainer Red Smith is pulling out all the stops by adding blinkers and Lasix.

Walcott rides another beaten favorite, Bang On, in the Alberta Premier’s Futurity. The six-furlong dash drew nine 2-year-old colts and geldings and goes as race 11.

Bang On, trained by Craig Smith, had a big excuse in the $40,000 Canadian Juvenile as Walcott was almost unseated when the winner, Dad’s Legacy, cut him off approaching the turn. In a controversial decision, the stewards let the result stand.

“I think he’ll run a good race, but he is going to have to beat Common Knowledge, who is a nice horse,” Smith said.

Common Knowledge was the runner-up by a head to Dad’s Legacy in the Juvenile. The son of Mank will be making his first start for trainer Karline Kingston.

Take your pick between Saveitofrarainyday and A Ring ’n a Rose in final race of the day, the Distaff. The 1 1/16-mile race for fillies and mares drew eight horses.