Devil in Disguise gets class relief in sprint feature
VANCOUVER, British Columbia – The “for sale” sign is on Devil in Disguise when he runs in a $25,000 optional-claiming race that will serve as Sunday’s feature at Hastings. The 6 1/2-furlong sprint for 3-year-olds and up drew eight horses, and Devil in Disguise figures to be a short price while running for a tag for the first time since he finished second in his debut in a $25,000 maiden-claiming race at Arlington Park in 2011.
Trained by Troy Taylor, Devil in Disguise gets long-overdue class relief Sunday. The 6-year-old horse by Smarty Jones hasn’t won a race since he beat eventual Grade 3 Canadian Derby winner Toccetive in the $50,000 Count Lathum at Northlands Park in 2012. Devil in Disguise did run a good race in that Canadian Derby, taking the lead on the stretch turn but coming up a length short as the odds-on favorite. He also was part of a heavily favored three-horse entry when he was the runner-up to Second City in the Grade 3 British Columbia Derby.
Since then, the only time he didn’t run in a stakes race was when he lost by a nose to Fransor’s Finest as the 2-5 favorite in a conditioned allowance race in 2013.
Last year, the best he could manage was a couple of fourth-place finishes from four starts. He is coming off a couple of solid performances this year in the George Royal, in which he finished third, and the John Longden, where he was fourth.
With two bullet five-furlong moves leading up to Sunday’s race, Devil in Disguise appears to be primed for a big effort. If he runs his usual race, he should be tough to handle.
He drew the outside post, where David Lopez likely will put him into a stalking position early.
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KEY CONTENDERS
Devil in Disguise (Last 3 Beyers: 77-76-76)
◗ He is clearly the class of the field, and with plenty of speed lined up, the flow of the race should work for him.
◗ The main concern is that he has never actually won sprinting.
Bluegrass Pride (Last 3 Beyers: 66-73-80)
◗ He showed surprising speed when he returned from a long absence in a $16,000 claiming race May 24. It was his first start since he finished fourth in the 2013 B.C. Derby.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: He was claimed out of the May 24 race by Rosann Anderson. The veteran trainer doesn’t claim horses very often, but over the past five years, she has won right back with two of the six she has haltered.
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