Ouelette to pilot Starrbuck
Luc Ouellette, a regular competitor at
Woodbine, will drive Lil Dude Starrbuck in Sunday’s $128,960
Western Canada Pacing Derby at Northlands Park in Edmonton.
Trainer – and usual driver -- Larry
Micallef told Trot Magazine this week, "Luc Ouellette is
coming out for us." Micallef said he is optimistic about Lil
Dude Starrbuck, who is owned by the Lil Dude Ranch of
Surrey. "Everything looks good. He’s really healthy and
sound."
The three-year-old colt, by Threefold,
set a mark of 1:53 when he won his Silver Buckets
elimination on May 15 at Northlands Park. He also won the
Silver Bucket final, and has $72,776 in earnings this year.
Last week, the colt finished four and a
half-lengths ahead of Thebuckstartshere to win his Derby
elimination. Micallef says he was not looking for a specific
post position in the draw. "I think it matters where the
other horses are," he said.
Starrbuck drew the six hole while Dudes
Leaving Town, by As Promised, will leave from post position
two. Trained by Elizabeth Hennessy, Dudes Leaving Town won
his division of the Derby elimination last week. He has five
wins in eight starts this season and $234,948 in career
earnings.
Micallef will still get a drive as
stablemate Lildudeskickinash will start from the four-hole.
Trainer/driver Bill Davis, for owner Robert Murphy, also has
an entry in Red Star Dusty from the rail and Red Star Sammy
from the eight-hole.
Meanwhile, the $113,430 Northlands
Filly Pace final has been drawn for Friday at Northlands and
two B.C.-owned horses will have the inside posts.
Da Lil Dudett, owned by Lil Dude Ranch,
and handled by Micallef, and Ivys Wine, owned by Bill Boden,
will be in the one and two-holes respectively. Da Lil Dudett,
second in her elimination, is the morning-line second choice
at 7-2 and Ivys Wine, trained and driven by Gerry Hudon is
at 6-1.
Just Sassy, who won the faster of two
$17,500 eliminations last Friday, has drawn post position
seven and is the even-money favorite. The three-year-old
daughter of Northern Luck has five consecutive wins going
into the final, with earnings of over $70,000 this season.
Royal Fancy, the other elimination winner, will leave from
the three-hole.
ARENDT MAINTAINS CAPPER LEAD:
John Arendt still holds the lead, now after seven weeks of
the Ultimate Capper Contest.
Arendt picked up $31 last week in
wagering on Northlands to run his total to $210.30, $19.30
ahead of second-place Tim Wiesner, who remained the top
challenger after getting $26.80 last week.
D.W Jones climbed into third place at
$177 after leading all contestants last week with his $63.50
from Northlands. Ron Miscich has moved into fourth overall
at $171 with Roy Yip fifth at $168.20. Chuck Irvine and
David Hardy were second and third last Saturday.
Other weekly winners have been Wiesner,
Brenda Hoffman, Sid Marshall, Fred Lester, Andy Kevener and
Les Raymond.
The winner of the UCC will get a
vacation for two to see the $1 million Pacific Classic at
Del Mar race track in sunny Southern California.
The UCC, which started May 1, runs for
10 consecutive Saturdays until July 3.
Contestants pick a horse in three of
the designated six races from the track of the week. A
mythical $2 win/place/show wager is made on each of the
three horses that are selected and at the end of each
contest day, the top three contestants win cash. First
place will win $250 with second and third place paying $150
and $100 respectively.
The contestant with the highest total
of mythical dollars won over the 10-week period will win the
vacation for two to Del Mar. The vacation includes flight
from Vancouver International Airport, three nights
accommodation, premium seating while at the race track and
$500 spending /transportation money.
Contestants can still go after the
weekly prize by getting an entry ballot in the Finish Line
at Fraser Downs from noon on the Friday of the contest week
until post time of the first race of the featured track and
submit it to either the Finish Line Information Window or
the Finish Line HPI Centre.
The remaining featured tracks are:
Saturday - Woodbine – harness, June 26 - Fort Erie –
thoroughbred, July 3 - Hollywood Park – thoroughbred.
CALIFORNIA BEAMIN: California
will pick up the Fraser Downs simulcast and join the
wagering for the last two races tonight.
ABBOTT TOPS: This time Gord
Abbott used a hat-trick -- last Saturday -- to top all
drivers at Fraser Downs over the weekend.
Abbott started with a single on Friday
and his four victories were one more than Clint Warrington,
who also had three Saturday, and Tim Brown. Tied at two
apiece were Rod Therres, Rick White, Jim Marino and Brad
Watt.
Mike Glover and White were the only
trainers to manage more than one win as they both visited
the winner’s enclosure on two occasions.
NORTH AMERICA CUP SET: Georgia
Pacific was the first name out of the hat in the draw for
Saturday’s final of the $1.6 million Pepsi North America Cup
– Canada’s richest horse race -- at Woodbine Racetrack in
Toronto.
Trainer Randy Bendis then elected to
start from the four-hole. This year, Woodbine officials
elected to draw the Cup final a new way. The names of the
four elimination winners were put in one hat, while the
names of the other six competitors were put in another. The
names of the elimination winners were drawn out first and
the connections were given the opportunity to choose the
post position they wanted. The other six horses drew the
remaining post positions by lot.
"I didn't want the inside. From the
middle we'll have better control," Bendis said. "Georgia
Pacific seems really good, bright, alert and ready to go,"
he added. The son of Western Hanover was subsequently
installed as the 9-5 morning line favorite.
Rogue Hall was the second elimination
winner drawn and trainer Rene Laarman chose post-three.
Western Terror, who was an 11-1 upset winner in his elim,
was next out of the hat. He’ll start from the rail while
Panspacificflight was the last elimination winner to draw
and driver Luc Ouellette chose the two-hole.
This year’s Cup is believed to have one
of the most competitive fields in recent years. Others are
Village Hero N, Mantacular, Rapid Dialing, Metropolitan, The
Preacher Pan and Camelot Hall.
MAINMAN’S MOONSHOT: Last week we
picked Chestico Beauty but she had troubles early and
finished eighth. This week the meet ends and with the last
try and we like Carwins C E O, a 10-1 morning line
selection, in the sixth race Friday.
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