Four stakes races will be contested during the opening weekend of Northlands Park's fall harness meet, which begins Friday night at the Edmonton, AB oval. On Friday night, two stakes for three-year-olds that went through the Alberta Standardbred Yearling Sale two years ago go will go postward.
The two-year-olds will get their turn on Saturday afternoon.
On Friday night, 15 fillies will race in two divisions of the Brad Gunn series. The name salutes the late proprietor of Gunn Farms in the Lloydminster. Trainer Travis Umphrey, who cut his teeth in the business as a teenager working at that facility, will have APs Money Maker in the more difficult second division of the series.
"She's training good right now," Umphrey told Horse Racing Alberta Tuesday. "We lost a little time with her during the break and I would have liked to have had a race or two into her before this stake. But there's lots of races for her this fall. I would have liked to have drawn into the other division because I think it might be a little easier. But we'll send her out and see what she can do."
The favourite in the second division is likely to be Doober Hoozzitz, which qualified and then made one start at Fraser Downs, finishing third in the Arbutus Stake. Bedrock Motel, runner-up in the Northlands Filly Pace back in May at Northlands, and Watchasgirlsgoby are in as an entry from trainer Kelly Hoerdt's barn.
"I'm pleased with how Bedrock Motel has trained," Hoerdt said. "She's had some time off and she's ready to go."
The Forest Wilson, which honours another longtime owner and trainer of standardbred horses in Alberta, also attracted 15 entries and will be run in two divisions. GTs Triple J, third in the Western Canada Pacing Derby in June, headlines the first division which will go as Race 6 on the program. The second division, carded as Race 9, looks like a tougher test. Umphrey has an entry of Rays Edge and Zippy Delivery in the field.
"I think Rays Edge can be really good this fall," said Umphrey. "What I don't know is whether he can be really good this weekend. Again, there's some horses like Gravel Crusher which have raced a bit this summer. I know Gravel Crusher has had some health issues but when he's right, he can be really good."
Hoerdt has Strong Signal in the same division and says he's a horse that looks promising.
The two year olds get their debut on Saturday afternoon with the fillies running under the Counterfeit Crown banner and the colts chasing the Mannart Tornado title. Hoerdt is bringing back Onaway from Ontario for the series.
"She won in :57 and paced in :55 in Ontario and she's had four lifetime starts this summer," says Hoerdt, "so she's a little more race fit than some of the others in the field."
To view Northlands' Friday entries, click here.
To view Northlands' Saturday entries, click here.
(With files from HRA)