Hastings champion Victory With Class in for $75K

VANCOUVER, British Columbia – Trainer Terry Clyde, and her father, the owner Doug Clyde, are realists. So it isn’t a big surprise that they are willing to part with Victory With Class, the local 2-year-old filly champ in British Columbia last year. The Clyde’s have Victory With Class entered for the price in a six-furlong money allowance race that carries a $75,000 claiming option at Hastings Sunday.

As a 2-year-old, Victory With Class won three of her four starts, including the Sadie Diamond Futurity and the B.C. Cup Debutante. Her only blemish was a second-place finish behind Overvalued in the $51,000 Lassie.

Terry Clyde is happy with the way Victory With Class is training, but she just isn’t sure about her upside potential.

“It isn’t always the case, but a lot of the horses that won the Futurity didn’t go on to do well as 3-year-olds,” said Clyde. “It seems like a lot of horses catch up with them. Plus, she hasn’t really grown much over the winter. She’s a nice filly but $75,000 is a lot of money.”

The combination of speed and a possible fitness edge could make Nuj Nuj Wink Wink dangerous. Trained by Phil Hall, Nuj Nuj Wink Wink is the only horse in the field with a race this year and she is coming off a sharp four-length win over Gotta Skedaddle in a $16,000 optional race at Turf Paradise March 7. Nuj Nuj Wink Wink received a 71 Beyer Speed Figure for her latest win and she also received a 70 when she romped in a $5,000 maiden race at Turf Paradise Dec. 21. Her figures are easily the highest in the field.

Pigtails, trained by Dino Condilenios, had enough speed to win a $30,000 maiden race going 3 1/2 furlongs and she showed a lot of class by winning the 1 1/16-mile Fantasy. Pigtails finished a distant third behind Victory With Class in the B.C. Cup Debutante. Following her $39.70 upset win in the Fantasy, she closed out her 2-year-old campaign with a fifth in the Sadie Diamond.

Misty Memory, second in the Sadie Diamond Futurity in her last start, will make her first start for trainer Dennis Terry Jr. Misty Memory was previously trained by the late Quint McCabe. An assistant to McCabe, Terry took over her training when McCabe died from heart failure in February.