Crius auditions for B.C. Derby in Sunday feature

VANCOUVER, British Columbia – Crius could be ready to fire a big shot in the $25,000 optional-claiming race that serves as the Sunday feature at Hastings. The 1 1/16-mile race for 3-year-olds drew nine horses, and if Crius runs as well as expected, he could be pointed to the Grade 3, $250,000 British Columbia Derby on Sept. 13.

Trained by Mike Anderson, Crius showed a lot of promise when he won the first two starts of his career but was eased when he stretched out to 1 1/16 miles for the first time in the $50,000 Chris Loseth. He made a strong move into a fast pace but then suddenly stopped.

Anderson was perplexed by the performance. After all, Crius is a full brother and the only sibling to the top older female at Hastings, the 4-year-old Arabella’s Muse, and he figured to improve going a middle distance.

“He may have swallowed his tongue,” said Anderson. “He seemed fine after the race, so that was the only thing I could think of.”

Crius came back with a strong performance Aug. 3 in the restricted B.C. Cup Stellar’s Jay on B.C. Cup Day. He was deep on the track when he made a strong move to collar Aditya at the top of the stretch but hung late and finished fourth behind Catz on Fire, who rallied from last to edge Aditya by a half-length.

Pedro Alvarado rides Crius and likely will put him into a stalking position behind The Odds R Good and Every Nites a Blur after he breaks from the inside post.

Key contenders

Crius (Last 3 Beyers: 74-35-71)

* He showed a lot of potential in his first two starts and figures to take a big step forward after an improved performance in the Stellar’s Jay.

Merlot (Last 3 Beyers: 68-68-74)

* Trained by Dino Condilenios, he rallied into a fast pace to finish third in his first route attempt in the Chris Loseth.

* The main concern is he is a British Columbia-bred, so it was surprising not to see him in the Stellar’s Jay, in which he would have been one of the favorites.

DRF Formulator fact: Over the past five years in routes at Hastings, Condilenios has a 29 percent strike rate with horses coming back from a layoff of 31-60 days.

Peace Arch (Last 3 Beyers: 66-53-66)

* Trained by Robert Gilker, he ran an even race in his first route attempt in a $40,000 optional claimer July 4 at Emerald Downs and may have tipped his hand when he worked a bullet five furlongs Aug. 3 at Hastings.