Favorite will be out and winging

CALGARY, Alberta Beths Best Bet will be in front and Beau Spirit will be trying to catch her in Saturdays seventh race at Stampede Park, a $19,300 allowance race that drew a field of six 4-year-old fillies.

The six-furlong sprint is a good place to start out the year for this group before they tackle older foes later in the stand.

Beths Best Bets only defeat in four career outings came at the hands of the brilliant Alpine Garden in the Sonoma going 1 1/16 miles at Northlands Park last August. Sprinting is Beths Best Bets game, as evidenced by her three runaway scores last summer to win out her conditions. A California-bred daughter of Valid Wager, Beths Best Bet has prepped smartly this spring for trainer Jim Meyaard. Rickey Walcott rides.

Beau Spirit breaks just to Beths Best Bets outside from post 6, and rider Jake Barton will be looking at a stalking trip as Beau Spirit does not possess the early speed of Beths Best Bet, who is the morning-line favorite. Beau Spirit and Beths Best Bet are the 122-pound highweights.

* Defending champion Teagues Fight heads a list of 15 nominees to the colts and geldings division of the Sales Stakes for 4-year-olds and up, and Certainly Regal is expected to defend her title in the fillies and mares version, which drew 11 nominations.

The two $50,000 handicaps will kick off the stakes schedule on April 12.