Ruby’s Big Band, who recorded her fifth local victory when promoted to first via a disqualification in the one-mile Assiniboia Oaks, looms the one to beat as she moves out to 1 1/16 miles for Saturday’s Jack Hardy Stakes.

The Jack Hardy, a $30,000 race for 3-year-old fillies, attracted a field of five and Ruby’s Big Band drew the outside post.

J C’s Action returns to Marquis Downs and should play a starring role Saturday in the Lakeland on Heritage Day, one of the highlights of the 30-day meeting. Six stakes for Saskatchewan-breds will be offered on the nine-race program.

Older males will go in the Lakeland, and fillies and mares in the Horizon, with those one-mile races each worth $10,000. The other Heritage races, worth $20,000 apiece, are the Shortgrass for 3-year-old males, the Parkland for 3-year-old fillies, the Western for 2-year-old males, and the Woodland for 2-year-old fillies.

Mr. Instigator figures to be a solid favorite in the $50,000 Birdcatcher for 2-year-old colts and geldings at Northlands Park Saturday. The 6 1/2-furlong race attracted eight horses and goes as race 9 on the 10-race card, which will be the last day of live racing until Sept. 6.

Juvenile fillies will also be featured in the $50,000 Bird of Pay, which drew six horses and goes as race 6.

Little Widow Maker, favored at 2-5, made short work of five rivals in the $30,000 Osiris Stakes at Assiniboia Downs on Wednesday evening.

One of three fillies in the Osiris, a six-furlong race for 2-year-olds, Little Widow Maker trailed early but advanced steadily and drew off to a 2 1/2-length victory under rider Rohan Sing.

Blue 'Em Away, in contention throughout, ended second, 1 1/2 lengths before third-place finisher Kommando Kate.

DEL MAR, Calif. - Liberian Freighter won his first stakes in 16 months in Wednesday’s $93,650 Harry Brubaker Stakes at Del Mar, leading throughout his first start in three months.

Ridden by Martin Garcia, Liberian Freighter ($11.40) set a slow pace of 24.32 and 48.42 seconds and held off a late run from even-money favorite Hey Elvis to win the 1 1/16-mile turf race in 1:41.03. Quindici Man finished third in the field of six.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - As he watched the early stages of Wednesday’s $100,000 Albany Stakes unfold and saw both of his horses, Johannesburg Smile and Stormy’s Majesty, dueling on the lead, trainer Dominic Galluscio panicked a little bit.

“I said, ‘What am I doing here? I got two of the best riders in the world. I hope they know what they’re doing,’ ” Galluscio said.

River Downs will contest its two premier races for 2-year-olds, the $100,000 Cradle Stakes and $50,000 Bassinet, on Labor Day weekend.

A total of 19 2-year-olds are still eligible to run in the Cradle, a 1 1/16-mile turf event. The first three finishers of last week’s allowance prep for the Cradle can be supplemented for a reduced price of $1,500, and 16 others have kept up with the necessary payments and are still eligible.

Although there was no large crowd on hand to watch, a throwback to days gone by was offered Tuesday afternoon as Horsemen’s Atokad Downs satisfied its legal requirements of holding a Nebraska-bred race, enabling the facility in the northeast corner of the state to continue to operate as a simulcast outlet for another year.

With the Canterbury Park meet drawing to a close Sunday, the training title is a match race between Mac Robertson and Bernell Rhone. Robertson has 42 wins, two more than Rhone.

The two have taken different paths to the head of the class with Robertson starting 73 fewer horses. Rhone has done well with some longshots and has a $2.07 return on investment. Robertson started fewer horses this year than in previous years because he split his stable between Canterbury and Delaware Park.

Fans might have noticed jockey Deshawn Parker’s name popping up in the Presque Isle program five times Wednesday evening and seven times Thursday evening.

Coming into Wednesday’s card, Parker was third in the nation with 213 wins, 23 behind the leader, Ramon Dominguez. Although Mountaineer Racetrack is the 39-year-old Parker’s home base, he has decided to try different tracks to increase his number of wins this year.