B R Remark will need his best at Hastings

VANCOUVER, British Columbia - Local sprint champion B R Remark heads a short but strong field of older horses running in a classified optional claiming race at Hastings Saturday. All five of the horses entered in the 6 1/2-furlong feature, which goes as the fourth race, have won at least one stakes.

A triple sprint stakes winner, B R Remark was voted the top sprinter in British Columbia in 2007 and 2008. He is coming off of a sixth-place finish in the 6 1/2-furlong George Royal Stakes in his meet debut on May 2, and if history repeats itself, he should be tough to beat on Saturday. In the past three years, B R Remark has won his second start at the meet.

His trainer, Brian Giesbrecht, would like to have given B R Remark a second start a little sooner.

"Nothing has filled for him," said Giesbrecht. "He only got beat a couple of lengths in the George Royal, so it wasn't like he ran poorly. He is doing real well right now, and hopefully he'll run a big race."

Giesbrecht said that the first goal for B R Remark this year is the $50,000 B.C. Cup Sprint on Aug. 3. Kevah Nicholls retains the mount Saturday.

And All That Jazz, who is trained by Craig MacPherson, won the 2008 B.C. Cup Sprint and is looking to rebound after finishing a dull fifth in a $75,000 optional race on May 17. And All That Jazz has very good speed and should be the one they have to catch. In his final two starts last year, And All That Jazz finished second to B R Remark in the PNE President's Speed Handicap and third to B R Remark in the $54,000 Express Handicap. Both races were at six-furlongs.

Seminole Brave, trained by Mel Snow, also has very good speed, and he used it to win his first two starts this year. He parlayed a front-running win in a $75,000 optional race on April 18 to an upset victory over True Metropolitan the George Royal.

Seminole Brave has been a dull horse in his last two starts, however. Snow shipped him to Emerald Downs where he finished fifth in the 6 1/2-furlong Fox Sports Network on May 25. Seminole Brave didn't run a jump when he stretched out to 1 1/16 miles in the John Longden 6000 on June 6.

The uncoupled Troy Taylor duo of Sir Gallovic and Winter Warning are also looking to rebound after dull efforts in their last start.