Don Fleming

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Northlands News If It's August, there must be Derby Fever. And there is no lack of it, on the racing scene at Northlands Park. Excitement mounted as we turned in the new month. with the Count Lathurm, the holiday weekend was to see the final prep for the Canadian Derby, which enjoys top grade status with it's 73rd running Saturday, August 24. The Count Lathum, honoring the Marsh Family's Canadian Derby triumph in 1960, is contested a a mile and five-sixteenths, a demanding route that is only a six-teenth of a mile short of the Derby distance. Ten nominations were received in an effort to separate the contenders from the pretenders. On the strength of a horse's performance in the Count Lathurm, it's interests could then determine it's prospects for the big one. But while the home forces were set to battle it out in the Count Lathum, the talented Vancouver invader Lord Shogun was in Winnipeg gunning for the Manitoba Derby the same weekend.  Lord Shogun has already established his case in Alberta, having upset a field in the Alberta Derby at Stampede Park in his first try at a route distance. Though he had never tried anything beyond six and a half furlongs, he went wire to wire comfortably by nearly three lengths. He made his Northlands debut in the Ky Alta a month later and he didn't fool anybody this time. He was bet down to 4-5, compared to the 6-1 odds he paid in the Alberta Derby. Again he went wire to wire, defeating runner-up Dark Fuse by almost three lengths again. In Winnipeg, as we went to press, he was to meet three invaders from Ontario, just as Alberta's best, Fancy As engaged Ontario's Stage Classic a year ago in the Manitoba Derby. Stage Classic was so heartened by his success by three parts of a length , that he came to Northlands looking for another windfall. But this time Fancy As had his measure in a memorable triumph. It is expected that at least on of the Ontario horses will advance from the Manitoba Derby to take on Lord Shogun and Alberta's best in the Canadian Derby for another epic east versus west showdown. See you at the races!