The 2010 Alberta Sires Stakes season will wrap up this Saturday with six Battle of Alberta Super Finals slated for the afternoon program at Northlands Park. The best of the best Alberta sired pacers will be out in action to take a shot at over $550,000 in purses
that will be up for grabs.
Barona Josie will look to keep her perfect record in tact as she takes on the top two-year-old fillies in their $100,000 Super Final. The daughter of Brandons Cowboy-Vanessa Hall, who has been installed as the even-money favourite in the morning line, is three-for-three in her young career with victories in two sires stakes events and a division of the Emerald Filly. Barona Josie has drawn Post 3 in Saturday’s Super Final and will be driven by regular reinsman Bill Tainsh Jr. She is trained and co-owned by Douglas Stout along with breeder Barona Yearlings of Spruce Grove. Clintons Keepsake will start to her inside from Post 2 for trainer-driver Keith Clark, who shares ownership with breeder Allan Neurauter of High River, Alta. and Kenneth Newton of Biggar, Sask. The 2-1 second choice will also be joined by stablemates Minettas Nightstar (Don Monkman Jr., PP8) and Wrangler Starlight (Bobby Clark, PP7) at the gate.
Takem Todakleaners gets the nod as the even-money favourite in the $100,000 Super Final for two-year-old pacing colts after sweeping his preliminary sires stakes events and winning a division of the Horizon Pace. The son of As Promised-Rain Drop Hanover, who has drawn Post 4, is five-for-six in his career for trainer-driver Brent Grundy and Alberta owners Diane Bertrand, Thomas Menard and Sherri Sorensen.
River Lass will face off against a four-horse Keith Clark entry in the $100,000 three-year-old filly pace with trainer Kelly Hoerdt in the bike. The early 9-5 favourite, who will leave from Post 5, is coming off a second-place performance to Mystic Maiden in the Western Filly Pace and will be attempting to improve her 2010 bankroll of $175,000 and record which reads 12-5-1 in 21 starts. The As Promised-Brass Buttons filly, owned by Hoerdt and Blair Corbeil of Beaumont, won a division of the Wild Rose earlier this season along with the ASHA Breeders Stake, Alberta Diamond sires stakes event, and Bev Sears Classic Sales Stake. River Lass and her stablemate, outside starter Nakednakednaked, with Brandon Campbell driving, will be tested by a team of Clark trainees including Wrangler Raine (Don Monkman Jr., PP1), W Jean (Bobby Clark, PP4), Queen Of Swing (Gerry Hudon, PP6), and last year’s Battle of Alberta champion Rossridge Fortune (Keith Clark, PP7).
Tajma Hall fillies Tajerine Dream and Sabotaj are coupled as the 9-5 favoured entry in the $25,000 consolation for trainer J.F. Gagne. Leaving from Post 5, Tajerine Dream will pick up the services of John Chappell while Sabotaj has drawn the outside post position for Gagne.
Fresh off a victory in last weekend’s Western Pace, Barona Yearlings’ Barona Ice will face off against Keith Clark trainee Clintons Escape, the slight favourite and top money earner in the $100,000 three-year-old colt pace. Trained by Stout, Barona Ice will look to increase his $110,000 seasonal bankroll. Bill Tainsh, Jr. will drive the Freedoms Pass-Vanessa Hall gelding, who has drawn Post 5. Clintons Escape will leave from Post 2 with Clark, who shares ownership with breeder Allan Neurauter and George Young of Calgary. Clintons Escape heads into the Super Final with a record reading 10-2-2 in 18 starts this year and earnings over $143,000. The gelded son of Clintons Cigar-Emotionaliscape boasts victories in three of his four sires stakes events, the Brad Gunn Final and Open Pace at Fraser Downs.
After finishing a close second to Barona Ice in the Western Pace and drawing the rail in the $25,000 consolation, War Cry Ranger has been deemed the even-money favourite for trainer-driver Don Monkman Jr.
Keith Clark trainees will also look to dominate the aged divisions. Chosen as the heavy 1-2 favourite in the morning line, Open pacer Wrangler Hitech will start from Post 2 with Clark in the $50,000 Super Final for four-year-old male pacers while Lady And Thetrench (Keith Clark, PP8) and Sealedwithapromise (Bobby Clark, PP5) are the top choices in the matching four-year-old mare pace.
First race post time is scheduled for 1 p.m.
To view Saturday’s entries, click here.