Beware of Super Divine stretching out

VANCOUVER, British Columbia – According to DRF ’s Formulator, over the past five years, trainer Dave Forster has won with 26 percent of his horses stretching out to a route for the first time. He hopes the strong figures hold up when he runs Super Divine in a second-level allowance race at Hastings on Saturday.

The 1 1/16-mile race for fillies and mares drew five horses and headlines a seven-race card that begins at 1:50 p.m. Pacific.

Forster had high hopes for Super Divine when she arrived at Hastings as a 3-year-old last summer. She came from out of the clouds to win a maiden special race going six furlongs when she debuted at Fair Grounds but went unplaced in two subsequent starts at Keeneland and Churchill Downs for trainer Larry Jones.

In her only start at Hastings last year, Super Divine stalked a slow pace and then backed up to finish fifth in an allowance. She didn’t make it back to the races until this spring, when she was sent off as the favorite in a first-level allowance but got off to a poor start and couldn’t make up the lost ground. She finished with good energy in her last two sprints, however, and being a half-sister to four-time route winner Miss Misfit, she should handle the trip.

Forster, 78, who was rushed to the hospital after suffering a heart attack at Hastings on June 21, was in good spirits at the track Thursday.

“If she don’t win, it’s a shame,” he said. “She was pretty crocked up behind last year, so we stopped on her. I have been looking forward to stretching her out since she got here. Hopefully, she’ll run a good race.”

Amadeo Perez retains the mount.

The horse to beat is Locket, who is trained by Canadian Hall of Famer Frank Barroby.

Locket hasn’t won going a middle distance, but she finished second in the $100,000 British Columbia Oaks going 1 1/8 miles, and she finished a close fourth to Madeira Park in the Grade 3 Ballerina, also at 1 1/8 miles.

She is coming off a fast-closing fourth in a 6 1/2-furlong, first-level allowance won by Pretty Reckless on May 31 and should relish the opportunity to go around three turns for the first time as a 4-year-old.

Pretty Reckless looks like the one they will have to catch in her first route attempt for trainer Mike Anderson.

Graffiti Grace, third in the B.C. Cup Dogwood in her only try going around three turns, could be a threat from a stalking position.

Bamboo Dream completes the field.