August Rain, Classy City Meet Again in Canadian Derby

Eleven 3-year-olds will vie for a CA$200,000 prize in the Aug. 24 Canadian Derby (G3) at Century Mile Racetrack and Casino. The field is headed by Western Canadian star sophomores August Rain  and Classy City  in the 1 1/4-mile main-track contest.

Classy City enters Saturday a perfect 2-for-2 at Century Mile for trainer Craig Robert Smith following a late-rallying victory in the July 19 Count Lathum Handicap over the opposing Itsallgoodman  and Skipper's Pride . The Kentucky-bred son of Classic Empire  will be ridden back by Rasheed Hughes, who also partnered the colt to a win in the Western Canada Handicap in June in his Canadian debut.

In between Classy City's two wins, however, he was soundly defeated by Peter Redekop B.C.'s August Rain in the Chris Loseth Handicap July 6 at Hastings Racecourse. The Sungold  gelding, trained by Barbara Heads, has never raced outside of Hastings in his nine starts to date. A consistent performer, only out of the money once, he and jockey Amadeo Perez depart British Colombia in hopes of conquering their foes in Alberta.

Awesome Road , winless in his last seven starts after breaking his maiden last summer at Ellis Park, will look to return to form for trainer Robertino Diodoro. The $600,000 son of Quality Road   was recently gelded before his last start, a troubled sixth-place effort in the Aug. 5 Manitoba Derby.