Closing Intentions eyes back-to-back wins in Sunday claimer
VANCOUVER, British Columbia – Closing Intentions picked a good time to run a big race when she won the $50,000 Championship Distaff Starter Final on Sept. 13 in her most recent start. She will try to double up in a $16,000 claimer for fillies and mares that headlines a 10-race card Sunday at Hastings. The 1 1/16-mile race drew six horses and goes as the ninth race. Post time for the first race is 1:50 p.m. Pacific.
Trained by Patty Leaney, Closing Intentions hasn’t run a bad race this year, but her only win from five starts came last time out.
Her runner-up finish in an $8,000 claimer in her seasonal debut May 31 made her eligible to the Championship Starter Series, and she ran in all four legs of the series, finishing second twice and third once before her win over Truly Unusual in the 1 1/16-mile final. She is running for less money ($14,000) Sunday but is facing tougher horses, particularly Fire Beauty.
Nonetheless, Closing Intentions has won at this level in the past and is versatile. Breaking from post 2 with leading rider Richard Hamel aboard, she either will be the one they have to catch or will stalk Fire Beauty.
Fire Beauty is coming off back-to-back runner-up finishes going 6 1/2 furlongs in $25,000 optional-claiming races and will be stretching out to a middle distance for the first time this year. The Mel Snow-trained 4-year-old daughter of Skimming, who won the Grade 1 Pacific Classic at Del Mar twice, should be able to handle the added yardage. She finished second going 1 1/16 miles in the $75,000 Fantasy Stakes as a 2-year-old, and she won a maiden special weight race at the same distance as a sophomore last year.
Key contenders
Closing Intentions (Last 3 Beyers: 66-62-56)
* This 6-year-old mare has improved her Beyer Speed Figures in her last two races, and she came back with a solid half-mile work following her sharp last-out win.
Fire Beauty (Last 3 Beyers: 61-66-57)
* She figures to move forward in her second start back following a short layoff and likely will be the one they have to catch if she breaks alertly from the inside post.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: Over the past five years, Snow has a respectable 16 percent strike rate with horses going from a sprint to a route.