The much-awaited standardbred meet at Northlands Park in Edmonton, AB will commence Friday, October 10, as a ten-horse card has been programmed to kick off the 39-day meet.

The Northlands card will snap the 115-day drought of Alberta horsemen not being able to compete on an 'A' track. A total of 25 stakes finals for at least $1.6 million in purses will be contested during the meet.

Included in the stakes mix is the $100,000 (added) Albertan for three-year-old colts and geldings on October 25 and the $100,000 (added) Breeders Stakes on November 29 for three-year-old fillies. Of the 25 stake finals, only two are wide-open/non-restricted races. The Primary (two-year-old colts/geldings) and Rocky Mountain (three-year-old colt/geldings) make up that short list.

First race post time for the card is 6:00 p.m.

Click here to view the entries.

Leriger To Appear On Broadcasts

Crystal Leriger - the longtime thoroughbred handicapper on the Northlands Park internal TV network - will start a new role Friday night with the Edmonton harness meet. Leriger will host the Northlands harness handicapping TV show with Sugar Doyle, the track announcer. The show will air before every live harness card on the Northlands TV signal.

"I'm looking forward to it," said Leriger. "It's an opportunity to get more experience in harness racing. And I'm fan of Sugar Doyle."

Leriger has worked for several years as an on-air talent for CTV's live broadcasts of harness and thoroughbred racing in Edmonton and Calgary. She has worked on many Western Canada Pacing Derby and Northlands Filly Pace broadcasts. The Alberta native also worked on telecasts of the late Nat Christie Stake from Stampede Park.

(With files from Horse Racing Alberta)