Trooper John faces invaders

Local star Trooper John will take on invaders Chief Know It All and Aqua Frio in the 88th running of the Grade 3, $150,000 Canadian Derby at Northlands Park on Saturday.

The 1 3/8-mile race headlines a 12-race card that includes four other Thoroughbred stakes and the Alberta Stallion Stakes for Quarter Horses, which kicks off the day at noon Mountain. Post time for the derby is 5:30.

Both pick fours have $25,000-guaranteed pools, and going into Friday’s card there was a $76,011 carryover in the Jackpot High 5. If it wasn’t taken down Friday, there will be a mandatory payout on the last race Saturday.

The eight horses in the derby each will carry 122 pounds while going around four turns.

Trooper John has dominated the local 3-year-old division, winning stakes in all three of his starts this year. Owned by Riversedge Racing Stables and trained by Tim Rycroft, Trooper John has won five straight races, all stakes.

Trainer Robertino Diodoro, fourth in races won in North America this year, is looking for his third win in the derby with Chief Know It All, a horse he claimed for $100,000 out of his last race, which came at Churchill Downs on June 30.

Aqua Frio, owned by Peter Redekop, is coming off a runnerup finish in the $75,000 Emerald Downs Derby for trainer Blaine Wright. Redekop’s trainer at Northlands is Monica Russell.

Trooper John likely will be favored off his 9 1/2-length romp in the $50,000 Count Lathum at Northlands. The son of Colonel John is versatile, and his usual rider, Keishan Balgobin, will have more than one option after he breaks from post 2.

Rycroft, who won the 2015 Canadian Derby with the filly Academic, was pleased with Trooper John’s bullet fivefurlong work in 58.40 seconds Aug. 11. He worked in company with Misty Do It, who is running in the $75,000 Sonoma for 3-year-old fillies (race 6).

“We wanted to get a good work into Misty Do It as well as give Trooper John a target,” said Rycroft. “I didn’t think they were going that fast, and I thought he might be pretty wound up after the work. He came out of it great, though, and has relaxed very well since. As the year has progressed, he’s just gotten bigger and more confident.”

Chief Know It All is coming off a runner-up finish going 1 1/16 miles on turf in a $100,000 optional-claiming race. He has tactical speed and likely will be among the early leaders after breaking from post 3 with leading rider Rico Walcott aboard.

“He’s a sound horse, and with the time between races we’ve been able to train him the way we want,” said Diodoro, who won the 2013 derby with Broadway Empire and the following year’s edition with Edison.

“We actually tried to buy him privately for more than we claimed him for, and when we saw him in for the tag, we jumped in and grabbed him,” he said.

Aqua Frio owns the top Beyer Speed Figure in the field, an 87 earned for his runner-up finish behind Riser in his most recent start July 30. With improving Beyers in his last four races, he appears to be peaking at the right time.

“He’s not big, but he’s very classy and has the full-bloom look to him,” said Russell. “He’s by Uncle Mo, so he should get the distance.”

Aqua Frio drew post 5, with Rigo Sarmiento riding him for the first time.

The rest of the field appears to be overmatched.