Top 3-year-old fillies square off

The $100,000 Century Casino Oaks at Century Mile on Saturday boils down to a match race between Im Evin Im Leavin, the best 3-year-old filly in Alberta, and Summerland, who until her last race dominated her opponents at Hastings.

The 1 1/8-mile race for 3-yearold fillies drew nine horses, all carrying 121 pounds, and headlines a 10-race card that begins at 1:45 p.m. Mountain. The Oaks also sets the stage for Sunday’s Grade 3, $250,000 Canadian Derby, which drew a strong field of 12 3-year-olds from across North America.

Summerland has been installed as the 9-5 favorite in the Oaks, but Im Evin Im Leavin looks like the one to beat.

Trained by Greg Tracy, Im Evin Im Leavin is coming off a runner-up finish behind Explode in a 1 1/8-mile allowance prep for the Canadian Derby on July 27. Explode, the top 3-year-old at Hastings, will be among the favorites in the 1 1/4-mile derby.

Explode was all out to beat Im Evin Im Leavin by a halflength.

A Kentucky-bred daughter of Can the Man, Im Evin Im Leavin went into her last race off a dull effort in the $50,000 Sonoma, finishing third as the heavy favorite in the onemile race. It was her first time going a middle distance, and it brought into question her ability to carry her substantial speed a route of ground.

“She can rate, and we’ve always had faith she can go long,” Tracy said. “She got a bit wound up in the starting gate and hit her head pretty hard. She probably shouldn’t have started.”

The Tracy-trained Miss Invasive, who drew the rail, is coming off three front-running wins sprinting, and there isn’t much doubt she will be gunned to the lead.

“We’ll see far she can go,” said Tracy of Miss Invasive. “We’re hoping Im Evin Im Leavin will sit just off the speed.”

Summerland, trained by Phil Hall, had never been headed in Canada until she was the middle horse in a three-horse duel in the $50,000 Hong Kong Jockey Club on Aug. 5 at Hastings. The Kentucky-bred daughter of He’s Tops wilted under the pressure and suffered her first loss since she ran seventh in the Grade 2 Sorrento at Del Mar last year. It probably didn’t help that she was carrying 128 pounds in the Hong Kong Jockey Club.

“I’m just putting a line through her last race,” Hall said. “She came out of it great, so we’ll give her a shot here.”

◗ The Hall-trained Good Luck to You will be a short price to win the $75,000 Northlands Distaff Handicap, which drew nine horses and goes as race 7 on Saturday.

The 5-year-old daughter of Bellamy Road is coming off a runner-up finish in the $50,000 Monashee behind the sensational Here’s Hannah on July 14. In her previous start, she easily won the $75,000 Shirley Vargo at Century.

Good Luck to You has tactical speed and should get a nice trip sitting just off Daz Lin Dawn, who took them all the way in the $52,000 Red Smith Handicap.