TERICE takes to the turf tomorrow night in a $7500 claiming contest, the 2nd race on your card, to wrap up the local season for the Canterbury Racing Club. It remains to be seen whether or not TERICE makes the trip to Chicago with stablemate MARYJEAN since she is up for a $12,500 tag and has been successful away from Canterbury. We get the services of Martin Escobar in the saddle as Alex Canchari is up on the 1 for Mac Robertson and Eddie Martin Jr. rides the filly on our inside, MG Baby.

Here is the field:

1. Theater of Dreams (Robertson/A Canchari) – The drop in class last out didn’t do her much good as she was still flat. She has yet to regain her form from last year’s Canterbury meet. Been off for 6 weeks in hopes that a brief freshener might do her some good. She was 3rd off the bench in her seasonal debut at Arlington in June.

2. Acarpian (Diodoro/Franco) – The Diodoro barn is locked in battle with the Robertson barn for meet supremacy and sends of this consistent filly who has 3 consecutive 2nds at this level over the turf.She saved all the ground that we couldn’t in the last and is poised to perhaps do it again.

Jeffell (McShane/Eikleberry) – A winner at $6,250 last out, she steps up and on the turf where she is 0-4 lifetime.

Natalie’s Storm (Pearson/Butler) – This duo beat us last time with a front running trip and it could happen again if no one goes with her. Sista Baby Girl, two spots outside, could help us out there.

Reclusive (Silva/Ordaz) – The oft claimed filly changed barns AGAIN last time out and now starts for Miguel Silva who brings her right back at this level. She’d prefer some pace to run at like we would.

Sista Baby Girl (W Rarick/Carreno) – First start for Wade Rarick she nearly carried the field wire to wire, only to be wrangled late by Reculsive while being 2nd best on that day. Look for her try to push Natalie’s Storm, but Butler is a tough one to outfox.

Number One Gal (House/Hernandez) – One of the Prairie Meadows shippers up to try the turf course. Her best showing up here on the turf was a 3rd but she was able to win on the dirt, albeit at a lower level.

Grace of Greatness (Robertson/Martinez) – A winner opening weekend, this MN bred has had a tough time of it since finishing no higher than 5th but trying much tougher until last out when she was 6th at this level but only beaten 2 3/4.

MG Baby (Scherer/Martin) – Claimed back by Gary Scherer after losing the horse – and this time he kept her for himself so perhaps he saw something there that he liked. Hasn’t tried the turf since she was 2 but has been washed off in numerous attempts since.

TERICE (BRINSON/ESCOBAR)

Frasier’s Pegasus (Scherer/Goodwin) – Another Scherer trainee won last out over the dirt but only sports an 0-4 record on the turf.

Moonshine Promise (R Rarick/Dieguez) – 3rd last out from the far outside, she’s going to need the same type of trip again to score.

Unfortunately this looks almost like a carbon copy of the last race…but the key is almost. Natalie’s Storm was able to shake a little loose and, while challenged a couple of times, ewasn’t consistently pressured from the beginning and was able to crawl through fractions of :25 and :49 2/5, leaving plenty in the lane where she prevailed. Hopefully Sista Baby Girl is up for the challenge this time and will pressure her early and often. There are, however, plenty of closers in here and we’ll need a good spot to close from. Hopefully the rail will not be out since it was way out last weekend which would provide some additional space through the turn and the lane for Escobar to maneuver.

Good luck and I’ll see Group 4 in the paddock. There is a spot in Silks reserved for the group and hopefully we can bookend the meet with winners!

It wasn’t the finale we were hoping for with MARYJEAN. She stumbled ever so slightly out of the gate and while Alex was able to recover her quickly, he trailed further than he would have liked. She made a nice sustained move to get into contention and briefly threaten the leader but ran out of steam.

Michelle put together another video (below) of race night for us with her usual expertise and excellence. My thanks to her and Jeff for covering me last night.

I will be there for the 2014 Club finale Thursday night as TERICE takes on a full field going a mile and a sixteenth on the turf. The spot is the same as the last: $7,500 open claiming with her claiming price being the purchase price of $12,500 as a Minnesota bred. The race is the 2nd on the evening, an approximate post time of 6:56 PM. Group 4 is in the paddock for an encore and to see if they can lead us to that elusive 2nd win on the summer.

MARYJEAN is the morning line favorite as well as being selected by the program as the possible winner in her final Canterbury race. She drew Post Position 1 in the six furlong dash, race 6 on the card. Here is the rundown:

1. MARYJEAN (BRINSON/CANCHARI)

2. CRIMINAL ELEGANCE (Turco/Escobar) – Deep closer hasn’t run in a non-conditioned race since last year at Hawthorne, where she struggled.

3. CASSIDILLY (Bera/Escobar) – Once upon a time there was a saying that you “just don’t beat Cassidilly”. That was a while ago. She was claimed after a layoff and while she’s hit the board after the claim, she hasn’t won yet. She’ll also try and come from off the pace.

4. SHIMAI (Hawley/Shino) – A stalker who tried the turf last out was in a race with our girl in MJ’s last race and, while we beat her, neither of us was very impressive.

5. JUST HAVE’N FUN (Wolochuk/Eikleberry) – Finally a bit of speed to run at and, thankfully, she’s not the only one. Remains at this level and though she faltered a bit last time, she could still be dangerous.

6. CHUMASH (Rarick/P. Canchari) – Hasn’t been the same horse for the new barn, but Rarick is a veteran and that won’t last. Back on the dirt at a distance and condition where she last ran, she’ll try and get a stalking trip under Alex’s brother Patrick.

7. TANABATA (Hawley/Carenno) – Speedster should help his stablemate but should also help us as well by helping to push along the other speed.

8. INFORMAL FANNIE (Bethke/Bell) – More speed on the outside who threw in a real clunker last out. If she can get out and push along the speed to her inside, it should set up nicely for whoever can get a good run at the leaders.

It does look as though we stand a pretty good shot in here as long as her last was just an aberration and not a pattern. One thing that works in our favor is that before that race she only had 16 days off in between and she seems to do her best running with a bit more rest and she had it going into here.

The speed will clear out outside of her and, with the rail and a decent break, we should be able to save ground while sitting 4th or 5th. I think the key will be if Alex has a straight shot at the tiring frontrunners. If we have a clear path – either outside but most likely up the rail – we could be very dangerous in here.

I don’t know if we have a spot in Silks, I would assume we do but I will make sure tomorrow and post separately.

It’s Group 3 in the paddock and Jeff and Michelle will be there for you all. I’m guessing that I’ll be watching on the side of the road somewhere in Iowa.

Good luck!