Horse Race Preview: Race 4 – Paint the Park Purple Stakes at Grande Prairie

Race 4 at Grande Prairie’s J.D.A. Raceway features the annual Mr. Mike’s Paint The Park Purple Stakes, a six-furlong dash for older horses over a $10,000 purse. Five starters enter under a post time of 2:30 PM MST this Sunday, August 24, with proceeds supporting pancreatic cancer awareness and a festive purple-themed trackside atmosphere.

Field Overview

Post	Horse	Age	Weight	Jockey	Trainer	Pedigree (Sire – Dam)
1	Gold Special	5	122 lb	Larris Allen	Clint Rycroft	Speightstown – Aurum Glow
2	Saburo’s Grace	4	120 lb	Andrew Poon	Colten Mad	Pioneerof the Nile – Graceful Saburo
3	Eldorado Storm	6	122 lb	Cody Moody	Lyle Magnuson	El Corredor – Stormy Laura
4	Crown Ruler	5	122 lb	Sarah Klein	Clint Rycroft	Kingman – Royal Crown
5	Little JP	3	118 lb	John Collura	Colten Mad	Silent Name (JPN) – Dramatic Gem

Pace & Run-Style Breakdown

Gold Special and Saburo’s Grace bring early speed and will vie for the lead through sharp :22-and-change opening splits. Eldorado Storm and Crown Ruler project to settle mid-pack, stalking the pace with a chance to pounce turning for home. Little JP, the lone three-year-old, rates as a closer—she’ll need hot fractions up front to set up her late rally.

Leading Contenders

Gold Special (Post 1)

Larris Allen’s mount by Speightstown has won three of six local sprints this season, including a head victory two back facing similar opposition. Trainer Clint Rycroft keeps this five-year-old sharp with blinkers on, and her dam’s Aurum Glow line adds a proven turn of foot.

Saburo’s Grace (Post 2)

Trained by Colten Mad, the four-year-old daughter of Pioneerof the Nile exits a sharp second-place effort versus allowance foes here last month. Andrew Poon teams up for the third time; her stalking style pairs perfectly with a turf-to-dirt switch.

Eldorado Storm (Post 3)

A six-year-old gelding trained by Lyle Magnuson, he sports a 5-for-12 record at six furlongs. Under Cody Moody, his El Corredor–Stormy Laura pedigree brings both early speed and enough stamina to hold off late challengers.

Dark Horses & Value Plays

Crown Ruler (Post 4)
Trainer: Clint Rycroft | Jockey: Sarah Klein
A versatile runner switching back to sprint distances after a troubled trip over seven furlongs. The Kingman sire line suggests a strong late kick if she secures a clean trip.

Little JP (Post 5)
Trainer: Colten Mad | Jockey: John Collura
The improving three-year-old tackles elders for the first time. Her Silent Name (JPN) bloodlines favor ground-saving tactics and late surges when pace rivals battle up front.

Trainer & Jockey Highlights

Clint Rycroft fields two of the top speed horses in Gold Special and Crown Ruler, showcasing his program’s consistency in local sprints.

Colten Mad sends out Saburo’s Grace and Little JP, two runners with pedigrees built for both early zip and sustained kick.

Lyle Magnuson can spring a surprise with Eldorado Storm, a proven local sprint specialist ready to capitalize on any pace meltdown.

Larris Allen (18 wins this meet) and Andrew Poon (13 mounts this weekend) maintain hot hands on the leaders, making their pairings impossible to ignore.