Distinctiv Passion tries two-turn sprint in Swift Thoroughbreds Inaugural

VANCOUVER, British Columbia – Sunday’s $50,000 Swift Thoroughbreds Inaugural drew a stellar overflow field of 12 older horses and is easily the best opening-day feature seen at Hastings in years. Eleven will start, with Crackdown needing a scratch to run.

Heading the 6 1/2-furlong sprint for 3-year-olds and up is the multiple Grade 3 winner Distinctiv Passion, who will be running in a two-turn sprint for the first time. Distinctiv Passion will be making his first start for trainer Phil Hall and owner Peter Redekop. Redekop claimed him for $62,500 out of a win in an optional-claiming sprint at Santa Anita on March 30.

Distinctiv Passion might not be as good as when he won the Grade 3 Midnight Lute at Santa Anita in 2014 and the Grade 3 Los Angeles Handicap there in 2015, but he comes into the race a sharp horse. In his most recent start in Arcadia, Calif., he earned a 96 Beyer Speed Figure for his 3 1/2-length win in a $50,000 claiming race for trainer Jeff Bonde on Feb. 26.

Hall sent him out for an easy five-furlong breeze in 1:03.20 with Enrique Gonzalez aboard last Monday.

“He’s plenty fit,” Hall said. “I just wanted to see how he handled the turns, and he was fine. Enrique said he had a ton of horse and was looking forward to riding him Sunday.”

Distinctiv Passion has just one way of going, and Gonzalez will call on his considerable speed from post 7. Gonzalez will be riding at Hastings for the first time since he was the leading rider here in 2013.

Other speed in the race includes Modern, who runs fresh for trainer Dino Condilenios. Last year, Modern swept the three sprint stakes for older horses at Hastings.

Condilenios likes the way the 7-year-old gelding by Tiznow is training.

“He’s a year older, but honestly, I think he’s going better than ever,” he said.

Modern will break from post 6 with usual rider Richard Hamel aboard.

“If he breaks well, Richard will go on with it,” Condilenios said. “If not, we’ll try and stalk.”

Blue Dancer, trained by Greg Tracy, also has speed, but he can stalk and has a perfect record sprinting. Most of his 10 lifetime wins came at Northlands Park, but he won the $75,000 Ascot Graduation at Hastings in 2014 and ran well in his only other start in Vancouver, finishing third in the Grade 3 British Columbia Derby in 2015.

This will be his first race since he was the runner-up going 1 1/16 miles in the $50,000 Harvest Gold Plate at Northlands on Oct. 22.

◗ Sharing the spotlight on the card is the $50,000 Brighouse Belles, which goes as the fourth race. Dear Lilly looks like the one to beat in the 6 1/2-furlong sprint for fillies and mares that drew six horses.

Trained by Sandy Gann, Dear Lilly returns to Hastings after a productive winter and spring at Turf Paradise, where she won three of her four starts. In her last start, she finished third going 5 1/2 furlongs in an open allowance race March 27.

A stalker, Dear Lilly should get a nice trip sitting off what should be an honest and contested pace. She drew the inside post, with David Lopez riding.

C U At Eau Claire, trained by Tracy, is perfect in three starts at the distance and figures to move forward in her second start this year. The stakes-winning 4-year-old finished fourth in the same race that Dear Lilly exits.

Castellani, trained by Hall, is a two-time turf winner going long and is seemingly out of her element sprinting on dirt. However, she was impressive in working four furlongs in 48.80 seconds last Monday, and there should be speed coming back to her.