We have the first Friday night race card this weekend at the Rocky Mountain Turf Club with the races continuing Saturday and Sunday.

Post time Friday is 6 p.m., while the horses go to the starting gate at 1:15 p.m. the following two days.

Sunday is a big day with a pair of Quarter Horse races.

The Whoop-Up Classic, an Alberta Distance Series, with a purse of $11,766 over a course of 660 yards is for three-year-olds and upwards. Also, under the Alberta Aged Series, the AQHRA Aged Stake over 400 yards is set for three-year-olds and upwards, racing for a purse of $15,100. The Aged Stake features horses like Big Hoss Rollin, Im Hot Ur Nott, Northforkzoom, Mals First Down and four other proven race horses.

Sunday’s card also includes the Thoroughbred Starter Allowance 2nd Leg for three-year-olds and upwards. This is one of the fan-favourite races, covering a mile and an eighth, with a $4,500 purse. There’ll be horses like Regroup,  Blazing Temper, Stamp Of Approval, Sweet Progress, Canadian Rose and Stopped Short.

As well, there’ll be five other races on Sunday’s card.

Saturday’s eight race card will be capped off with the Harold Silbernagel Memorial, a six furlong race featuring horses under the hand of trainers such as Dennis Dorchester, Allen Goodsell, Angelle Carter, Mike Bugeaud and others. The eight-race card Saturday opens with a 350 yard sprint for two-year-old maidens.

The first Friday card of the Fall Meet features six races, one a 350-yard Quarter Horse race and the final race a seven furlong Thoroughbred race.

Trainer Lyle Magnuson had a great run during last weekend’s Alberta Bred series and now leads the pack with eight victories. Next in line are Michael Braun, Leonard Bourne and Pete Dubois with three wins and no less than six trainers with two wins each.

Trevor Simpson has hit double figures, with 10 wins atop the jockey standings. Larris Allen has seven wins and Ramiro Sanchez Castillo rounds out the top three with five victories.

The RMTC Dixieland Jazz Band will be playing during the weekend and the kiddies attractions will all be there, including the petting zoo and candy toss. And don’t forget Bullys, with its Vegas-style slots, beverages and meals as well as the huge buyer’s market each day under the grandstand.