Cloutier looks to feast on stakes

It is Canadian Thanksgiving on Monday, but Hastings-based trainer Mark Cloutier isn’t bringing any turkeys with him to Century Downs. Instead, he will be arriving with a couple of razor-sharp horses for the $100,000 Harvest Plate and $50,000 Lynn Chouinard Founders Distaff.

Coulterberry will be a major force in the Harvest Plate. The seven-furlong dash drew 11 horses and goes as the last of nine races.

Under Par will try to take them all the way in the mile and a sixteenth Distaff, which drew 12 fillies and mares.

Coulterberry has won four of his six starts this year with two runner-up finishes. His latest win came at Emerald Downs in the $50,000 Muckleshoot Tribal Classic where he rallied late to win the mile and a sixteenth race by 1 3/4 lengths.

His three other wins this year came going 6 1/2 furlongs at Hastings, and in his only start in Alberta he was the runnerup to Gato Guapo in the $75,000 Century Mile.

“I think seven furlongs will hit him right on the head,” said Cloutier. “He came out of his race at Emerald in great shape and he’s had two really good works since.”

A deep closer, the British Columbia-bred son of Finality should have an honest pace to work with. He is a big overlay if the goes off at his 9-2 morningline odds. Coulterberry will break from post 6 with Amadeo Perez riding.

Trainer Mel Snow is looking for a good effort from Driller, who won the Harvest Plate last year.

Driller, a stalker who is also based at Hastings, is coming off a runner-up finish in the $25,000 Pete Pedersen at Emerald on Sept. 22.

Trooper John, the 5-2 morning-line favorite, heads the local contingent. Trained by Tim Rycroft, he came from a stalking position to win an open allowance race going seven furlongs at Century Downs on Sept. 21. In his previous start he finished seventh in the Century Mile.

Trooper John will break from post 5 with Rico Walcott aboard.

Founders Distaff

Under Par, who has compiled an impressive 9-4-1 record from 13 starts, finished second in her first try going a middle distance in the $50,000 Washington Cup Filly and Mare at Emerald on Sept. 15.

She led the mile and a sixteenth race for all but the last few jump, with No Talking Back edging her by three-quarters of a length.

“I really didn’t think she would go that far,” said Cloutier. “She’s been more relaxed in her works since then and hopefully she can relax as well in the race.”

Perez will be aboard when she breaks from post 5.

The horse to beat in the Lynn Chouinard Founders Distaff is Smart Fix. Trained by Jerri Robertson, Smart Fix is coming off back-to-back romps. She followed up her four-length victory over Raider in the $85,000 Northlands Distaff Handicap at Century Mile with a 4 3/4-length decision over Parcam Cowgirl in the Fall Classic Distaff at Century Downs.

Smart Fix went winless in seven starts last year.

“She was pretty sick last summer,” said Robertson. “She had a liver infection and never really recovered.”