Rmtc 2nd weekend...

BY GARRY ALLISON
Rocky Mountain Turf Club
Thus far in the Rocky Mountain Turf Club's presentation of the Spring Meet, Lyle W. Magnuson
is the talk of the rack.
If he's not winning races - another three Saturday and one Sunday to go with his three opening
weekend - he's the star of the Claiming box.
Its tough to pick a saying for the back of his jacket - either Pay Me or Claim Me.
"Thing is, I run good horses where they can win, where they fit. Some get claimed that way,"
said Lyle on a sunny but windy Saturday afternoon at Whoop-Up Downs.
"If you run against only the best horses, you likely won't win or get claimed.."
Lyle brought 22 horses to the RMTC, and has lost five. He had one scratched and among the
others claimed he lost Lucky 13 and At The Bada Bing.
"They were nice animals, easy to deal with, but that's the way it goes.
"This year I've been lucky to have Scott Sterr and Nate Smith on my horses. I've been winning
at a good pace and I hope that continues. After all, that's what we're here for, to run and to win."
Saturday Nate Smith brought home Lyle's Fuzzy Pitch, owned by Jackie Smith - not to be
confused with the jockey - to pay 11.30, 6.20 and 3.60 and with a $2 Triactor $127 (1-2-5).
Fuzzy Pitch is by Cascadian out of Touched by N Angel by Claim. How's that for an appropriate
name! The horse was bred in Washington by Jackie Smith.
In the third, Scott Sterr out-ran the field on Lyle's Buckshot West, by Ihitman. For his third win,
and in the fourth race, Magnuson saw the field narrowed to five horses when Hey Italian Lady,
owned by the RMTC, rear up in the gate and end up a vet's scratch. Nate Smith on La Valle Girl
beat the remaining five horse home.
The feature race of the weekend was the closing race Sunday, a $16,000, 300-yard dash. The
eight-horse field was narrowed to seven when Memories Moments got excited in the paddock
and after a couple of flips was scratched by the stewards.
On the track, Nate Smith made it win number nine for the four days of racing when he brought
The Fire Fly home on top, a horse trained by his wife, Amanda Smith. The Fire Fly paid 21.10,
6.10 and 3.30 with the 6-2-1 Triactor at $252.60. The winning horse is by Sixes Royal out of
Thatsa Blasin Chick by Chicks A Blasin, bred in New Mexico.
"You've got to get out of the gate, that's what's needed, and we did that," said winning rider
Nate Smith. "By the last few hundred yards we were sitting fine. About half this field was pretty
tough and really, it was whoever broke first.
"I came back healthy this Spring and that's good, it helps a guy perform," Nate added about his
nine wins the first 23 races of the season.
Brooke Mellish, one of the fans' favourite riders the past half dozen riders, missed the first
weekend of racing but was back his past weekend, bringing Norm Cuthbertson's Beau Gris
home in front - almost a runaway in fact - to close out the day in the sixth race.
"I was sitting at home last weekend and next weekend I may race in Vancouver. But I will be
back in Lethbridge from time to time this year, especially if Norm calls and wants me to ride his
horses."
Beau Gris is by Diligence out of Vienna Dawn by Chromite and was bred in Florida.
Sunday, Brooke opemed the card with a win on End Game, trained by Allen Goodsell, and raced
in the money in the majority of the rest of the card.
BEHIND THE STARTING GATE . . . The highest payout Saturday was $18.20, 6.40 and 3.60
with a $202 Exactor with Gorgeous Gabrysia combined with Viva Vavoom . . . Antonio Ramirez
rode the winner with Dwight Anthony Lewis on the second-place horse, owned by one of the
classiest women in racing, Linda Kropius . . .  It paid to be early Sunday as the first 5o people at
the races received a hot dog and drink coupon . . . Dwight Anthony Lewis, tall enough to play
basketball, riding a small kid's bike, with his riding crops under his arm, through the crowd at
the end of Saturday's race day . . . The Lethbridge wind was present both days, but it was coning
from the south, not the west . . . Scott Sterr, with three wins Sunday, has six for the meet, second only to Smith . . .
Lyle Magnuson leads the trainers with seven wins and Stan Marks picked up his first two Sunday . . .There'll be no racing this coming Friday, but the horses will be
on the track Saturday through Monday . . . Post time all three days is 1:05 p.m.