B.C. West moves up off victory

CALGARY, Alberta - The featured seventh race at Stampede Park on Friday night, a $22,000 claimer for older horses going a mile, drew just six entrants but contention runs deep.

B.C. West drew outside and takes a confident move up in class for trainer Floyd Arthur following his victory in $17,500 company in his season debut here April 29. B.C. West, 9, finished full of run in that six-furlong sprint and galloped out strongly.

He will appreciate Friday's one-mile distance but so will several others, and the strong pace he got sprinting may not happen on Friday.

Rider Quincy Welch is reunited with B.C. West, with whom he won four races last year. He replaces Stephan Heiler, who will ride Celtic Warrior.

Noble Dane is the probable pacesetter and drew post 4 with leading rider Rickey Walcott replacing Welch. Noble Dane ran evenly after being three wide in a sprint here May 6 and should improve off that effort.

Celtic Warrior drew the rail and drops in from a $30,000 claimer on May 2 in his season debut, a race in which he faded.

Dual Fuel, a newcomer from Kentucky, ran evenly in his local debut, closing some ground in the sprint won by B.C. West; he is eligible to show more this time around.

Real Simard retains the mount on Dual Fuel.

Jake Barton stays aboard Phantastic Secret, who hit the gate at the break in his last start.

Phantastic Secret's trainer, Greg Tracy, has been red hot of late and won the final three races last Sunday to move into a first-place tie in the standings with Ron Grieves.

Nugrayontheblock, making his first start of the year, rounds out the field.