Aditya to get stamina test in B.C. Cup Stellar’s Jay
VANCOUVER, British Columbia – The connections of Aditya will find out if he’s good enough to take the next step on the road to the Grade 3, $250,000 British Columbia Derby when he runs in the $50,000 B.C. Cup Stellar’s Jay Handicap for British Columbia-bred 3-year-olds at Hastings on Monday.
Trained by Anita Bolton, Aditya is the fastest horse in the field of nine for the 1 1/16-mile race, but he has never gone farther than 6 1/2 furlongs. He certainly has the pedigree to get the distance. His sire, Mass Market, won the Grade 3 West Virginia Derby going 1 1/8 miles. Aditya is the first foal to race out of the multiple route stakes winner Remarkable Miss.
Aditya has won two of three starts since Bolton claimed him on behalf of James Redekop for $35,000 when he won a maiden-claiming race in his second start as a 2-year-old. His only blemish for his current connections came when he had some trouble going into the first turn in the Jim Coleman Province in his initial start this year.
Bolton is happy with the way Aditya is training but wasn’t pleased that he was assigned 119 pounds and will be the starting highweight. Lord Rosberg, 120 pounds, isn’t running.
“I don’t think a horse that has never gone the distance should have that much weight,” said Bolton. “He’s training very well, and we are hopeful he can go this far.”
Pedro Alvarado rides and likely will put Aditya into the race right from the start.
None of the horses in the field has won going around three turns. Brother Duster carried 110 pounds when he finished second after the speed collapsed in front of him in the 1 1/16-mile Chris Loseth Handicap in his first start at a middle distance. He is picking up four pounds for the Stellar’s Jay.
In his previous race, he won a $16,000 claiming race going 6 1/2 furlongs for Bolton and was claimed by Taylor Anderson. He could improve in his second route attempt.
Key Contenders
Aditya (Last 3 Beyers: 77-77-78)
* He is a standout from a Beyer Speed Figure perspective, and considering his pedigree, he shouldn’t have an issue with the distance.
Brother Duster (Last 3 Beyers: 69-64-48)
* He is trending in the right direction and earned his career-best Beyer when he stretched out to a middle distance for the first time.
DOGWOOD (RACE 2)
Quatre Cat is clearly the one to beat in the $50,000 B.C. Cup Dogwood for 3-year-old fillies bred in British Columbia. Nonetheless, she has declining Beyers, and it might be worth trying to beat her in the 1 1/16-mile race that drew eight horses.
Trainer Craig MacPherson thinks he might have the horse to pull off the upset in Splendid Scat.
In her only start going around three turns, she was finishing full of run in the $75,000 Fantasy last year but lost her rider when she hit a horse who had broken down in front of her on the stretch turn. She is coming off a win sprinting in a $16,000 claiming race July 18, and MacPherson likes the way she is coming into the Dogwood.
“It looked like she was going to win the Fantasy when the incident occurred,” said MacPherson. “She seems to be coming around now, and I think she regained some confidence when she won her last race.”
KEY CONTENDERS
Quatre Cat (Last 3 Beyers: 62-65-79)
* Trained by Sylvea Gregory, she looked great in winning the first two sprint stakes at Hastings for 3-year-old fillies with Ryan Pacheco aboard. However, she was just average as the runner-up when she stretched out to 1 1/16 miles in the $50,000 Supernaturel with Richard Hamel replacing Pacheco.
Splendid Scat (Last 3 Beyers: 61-47-27)
* Has rising Beyer Speed Figures and could thrive while stretching out to a middle distance.
DRF Formulator Fact: Over the past five years, MacPherson has a 27 percent strike rate with horses going from a sprint to a route.
Bridle Beauty (Last 3 Beyers: 53-58-46)
* She hasn’t been a serious threat in her last two starts on turf at Golden Gate Fields, but she has been impressive while working over dirt at Hastings for trainer Barbara Heads.
Two stakes for juveniles
The $50,000 Nursery appears to be a wide-open race.
Northlands Park-based trainer Greg Tracy has had a lot of success with 2-year-olds in stakes races at Hastings, and he likes the chances of Reason for Being. The full brother to local stakes winner Dance the Wind is coming off an impressive win going 5 1/2 furlongs with Scott Williams aboard in his second start at Northlands in a maiden special weight race July 11.
“He seems like a nice one,” said Tracy. “He came back with a strong work, so I hope he runs a good race.”
Reason for Being will break from the inside post under Williams.
The local hopes rest with B C Charlie, who was the runner-up to Hippie when he debuted for MacPherson in a maiden special weight race July 12.
Groot, trained by Steve Henson, lost by just a length despite going extremely wide around the stretch turn when he was making a huge run in his debut.
The $50,000 Debutante drew an overflow field of a dozen 2-year-old fillies and goes as the fifth race. Eleven will start.
If Hippie runs back to her impressive debut, she will be tough to beat. Trained by Dino Condilenios, she broke sharply with Antonio Reyes aboard, forced a quick pace, and drew off to win the six-furlong maiden special weight race by 4 3/4 lengths over B C Charlie.
The horse she probably will have to catch is Tactics, who won a quickly run 3 1/2-furlong maiden special weight race when she debuted July 11. Trained by Troy Taylor, she is a full sister to Cederberg, who won the B.C. Cup Nursery in his second start.