Wednesday was time trial night for both the $137,100 Mystic Lake Northlands Futurity and the $83,000 Canterbury Park Quarter Horse Derby. Four trials for 2-year-olds were run at 350 yards for the Futurity and three for 3-year-olds, at 400 yards, in the Derby trials with the 10 fastest qualifiers in each age group moving on to the finals on Aug. 11.
Jason Pascoe trained the top qualifier in each including Eye Live for Candy, ridden by all-time top quarter horse jockey Nik Goodwin, who won the first Northlands trial in 18.181 seconds. The Wyoming-bred filly was 1 1/2 lengths the best and was the only qualifier from her heat.
Tres Elegance, trained by Hall of Famer Ed Ross Hardy, won the third trial in the second fastest time of 18.184. Leading trainer Jason Olmstead, who had 10 entered in the 2-year-old trials, qualified four including Nvincible, with the fifth fastest time of 18.333.
Nvincible was ridden by leading jockey Edwin Escobedo who had quite an evening. He rode all seven trials, all on Olmstead trainees, and hit the board in each one with two wins, two seconds and three thirds, qualifying with six of the seven mounts.
In the Derby trials, Escobedo won with Jess Kool Dreamer, the fourth fastest qualifier in the 400 yard heat and he won with Minnesota-bred Jess Rocket Man, in an
effortless ride for a 1 1/4 length romp in the third fastest time.
It was Pascoe however that had the fastest qualifier in the Derby trials with Streakinlilwagon, in a final time of 19.791 seconds. Veteran jockey Stormy Smith was aboard. Streakinlilwagon has now won six of 11 lifetime starts.
