Class a question, but Vaderator has speed

ALBANY, Calif. - Vaderator, the lone member of the five-horse field making his stakes debut, will be the one the other four in the field - all stakes winners - will be trying to catch in the $50,000 Fairfax on Saturday at Golden Gate Fields.

The speedball Vaderator drew the rail. He is looking for his third victory in his past four starts. He comes off a 10-length defeat as runner-up to Smokey Stover, who just defeated Bordonaro and Proud Tower Too in the Sunshine Millions Sprint and may be the best sprinter in the country.

Vaderator battled head-and-head with Smoke Stover in a Jan. 7 allowance race here. While Smokey Stove pulled away down the stretch, Vaderator held off Roscoe Pito for second by two lengths. Jockey Frank Alvarado maintained a comfortable margin for second without asking much of his horse.

"He was obviously beaten by a much better horse," said Vaderator's trainer, Dean Pederson.

"He was dueling hard with Smokey Stover. How many times do you see horse battle for half a mile and then finish last if the other pulls away easily?

"The thing I was proud of most was the fortitude he showed to run second."

Britt's Jules may be the "now," horse, with two straight wins since moving to northern California. Britt's Jules comes off a sizzling allowance win and has multiple placings in graded stakes.

"He's got a perfect style for this race with good tactical speed," said trainer Billy Morey.

"He's meeting some tough horses, but he's a high-level claimer who's gotten hot. He's going good right now."

Trainer Jerry Hollendorfer has entered the 8-year-old Trickey Trevor, who hasn't run since August.

"I was reluctant to put him in a stakes," Hollendorfer said. "The horse is getting older, and he's had issues, but he responds to a little time off."

With an outside draw, Trickey Trevor should be able to get a good stalking trip. Last year he won the Grade 2 Churchill Downs Handicap.

Other threats to Vaderator include Set Alight. Sent north by trainer Bobby Frankel, Set Alight was a Group 3 winner in Europe.

Corazondelcampeon put together back-to-back stakes wins last year, and he makes his first start since last May.

* Trickey Trevor's half-brother Show Me Your Money, who had won his first two starts, suffered a fatal injury recently while training, said his trainer, Hollendorfer.