Golden Stripe, who has been highly competitive in open filly and mare company, will be the one to beat when she faces fellow Manitoba-breds in the $50,000 Distaff at Assiniboia Downs on Friday evening.
The one-mile Distaff is one of two stakes on the program along with the $40,000 CTHS Sales, a six-furlong race for 2-year-olds.
Golden Stripe, a 4-year-old owned and bred by K-5 Stables, will have eight rivals in the Distaff. Trained by Shelley Brown, Golden Stripe finished third in last year’s Distaff but has shown significant improvement since returning to Winnipeg this spring following a three-race campaign at Prairie Meadows.
After opening up with a close second-place finish behind Preservata in the six-furlong La Verendrye on June 12, Golden Stripe turned the tables in the one-mile Canada Day on July 1.
In her last start, Golden Stripe again displayed her forward style and appeared headed for victory only to be run down by Anna Bella in the final yards of the 1 1/16 mile Winnipeg Sun on Aug 1.
Breaking from the inside on Friday under Gary Baze, Golden Stripe should make short work of this opposition despite her impost of 123 pounds.
Glory Command, Queen Tina and Bound to Thrill finished 1-2-3 when prepping for the Distaff over 7 1/2 furlongs here Aug. 6.
Also owned and bred by K-5, Glory Command was notching her second consecutive victory in Manitoba-bred company. Vicky Baze has picked up the mount for the Distaff.
Queen Tina is winless over her last two campaigns but came within a neck of running down Glory Command.
Bound to Thrill, runner-up to Golden Stripe in the restricted R.C Anderson last summer, also will be seeking her first win of the meeting.
Thereisnofiteclub, coming off a second-place finish in the six-furlong North Dakota Futurity at Assiniboia Downs on Aug. 14, heads the field of eight for the CTHS Sales. Owned by Poseidon Stables LLC and trained by Blair Miller, Thereisnofiteclub will have Janine Stianson in the irons as he begins from post 6.
