Aditya finds a good spot in Sunday sprint feature
Aditya appears well spotted to win his second race in a row in a $25,000 optional-claiming race Sunday at Hastings. The 6 1/2-furlong sprint for 3-year-olds headlines an eight-race card that begins at 1:50 p.m. Pacific.
Trained by Anita Bolton, Aditya came up short when he tried stakes horses in his first start of the year in the $50,000 Jim Coleman Province on May 3. He didn’t run bad, though, finishing fourth in the 6 1/2-furlong dash for sophomores. Dropping into a substantially easier spot for his second start at the meet, he broke on top with Pedro Alvarado aboard and never looked back while easily handling Catz On Fire in a first-level allowance race May 24.
Instead of stretching him out to a middle distance in the $50,000 Chris Loseth Handicap on July 1, Bolton waited for an easier place to run the quick son of Mass Market. Considering that the 77 and 78 Beyer Speed Figures that Aditya earned in his last two races are easily the best in this nine-horse field, she appears to have found the right spot.
Alvarado retains the mount.
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KEY CONTENDERS
Aditya (Last 3 Beyers: 77-78-63)
◗ He is a standout from a Beyer perspective and was on his toes when he worked five furlongs in 1:00.80 on July 3.
◗ He also is versatile, and with plenty of other speed in the field, Alvarado has more than one option.
Party Pooper (Last 3 Beyers: 63-30-65)
◗ A stakes winner in his second start as a 2-year-old, he could be sitting on a big effort after rallying to finish third in a $25,000 optional-claiming race in his initial race as a sophomore.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: Over the past five years at Hastings, trainer Troy Taylor has a 26 percent strike rate with horses making their second start following a layoff.
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Shuswap (Last 3 Beyers: 61-64-32)
◗ Trained by Robert Gilker, the lightly raced son of Old Fashioned is trending in the right direction and ran a huge race when he won a maiden special weight race June 20. After dueling through a fast first quarter-mile, he was eased off the pace by Antonio Reyes and then made a strong late rally along the rail. He will be ridden by Amadeo Perez on Sunday.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: Gilker is winning races at a 36 percent clip this year, and the veteran trainer has a 44 percent strike rate over the past five years with Perez riding.