Hard to envision anybody beating Invested Prospect in Hastings

It is hard to look past Invested Prospect in the $50,000 Hastings Stakes at Emerald Downs. After all, she hasn’t lost sprinting, and in her first start as a 4-year-old, she romped while facing four of the seven fillies and mares she will be running against Saturday in the six-furlong dash that headlines a nine-race card that begins at 2 p.m. Pacific.

Trained by Blaine Wright, Invested Prospect is quite simply the fastest horse in the field, and if she breaks alertly, she is going to be very tough to catch. She has never seen a tail in any of her seven sprints, and her only loss came when she attempted to carry her substantial speed around two turns in the one-mile Irish Day last year.

In her five-length romp going 5 1/2 furlongs in an optional $50,000 claiming race April 23, Invested Prospect carved out rapid interior fractions of 21.79 and 44.09 seconds over a wet-fast track and was never threatened.

Invested Prospect has had a couple of easy works leading up to Saturday’s race, and Wright is expecting another strong performance from the talented Washington-bred.

“She’s fit, so we didn’t do too much with her,” he said. “Plus, she probably got enough out of her first race.”

The strategy is simple.

“If she breaks well, they will have to catch her,” said Wright.

She drew post 5, with Juan Gutierrez retaining the mount.

Hastings Stakes, Race 7

KEY CONTENDERS

Invested Prospect, by Abraaj

Last 3 Beyers: 83-86-70

◗ She couldn’t have been more impressive in her initial start as an older horse, and if she takes the expected move forward, the rest are running for second money.

◗ Adding to her appeal is that Wright is on fire at the meet, with 46 percent of his starters winning, and if it comes up wet, the result is a foregone conclusion.

Citizen Kitty, by Proud Citizen

Last 3 Beyers: 70-76-82

◗ Trained by Jeff Metz, she ran a good race to finish second behind Invested Prospect in her first start this season and came back with a bullet four-furlong move in 46.80 seconds May 8.

◗ The 82 Beyer Speed Figure she earned in her win in an optional $25,000 claiming race in her final start as a 4-year-old last year is the second-best at the distance behind the 86 that Invested Prospect received for her sharp win at the Oak Tree meet at Pleasanton last year.

B C Z Middleton, by Nobiz Like Shobiz

Last 3 Beyers: 53-50-73

◗ Also trained by Metz, this sprint-stakes winner may not have cared for the wet conditions when she finished last in Invested Prospect’s win and could rebound with a better effort if it stays dry.

Princess Kennedy, by Sun King

Last 3 Beyers: 66-66-85

◗ Trained by Tom Wenzel, last year’s Washington Oaks winner finished fourth behind Invested Prospect in her first start this year and figures to move forward with a race behind her.

FORMULATOR FACT: Over the past five years, Wenzel has a 27 percent strike rate with horses making their second start following a layoff.