Hastings: Class Included viable alternative to four-horse entry in Ballerina

VANCOUVER, British Columbia – Class Included is going to be an overlay when she runs in the Grade 3, $100,000 Ballerina for fillies and mares at Hastings on Sunday.

Class Included will offer some value in the 1 1/8-mile feature that drew 12 horses because it will be hard for many people to resist the four-horse Glen Todd-Patrick Kinsella owned entry of Castinette Dancer, Summer Song, Classic Alley Kat, and Dashing Daisy. All four are multiple stakes winners and any of them would attract substantial support on her own.

Class Included appears to be peaking right now, however, and she couldn’t have been more impressive when she easily handled Castinette Dancer in the $100,000 British Columbia Oaks in her first start at Hastings on Sept. 11. Trained by Jim Penney, Class Included has never finished worse than second in her eight-race career . Her strong performance here was preceded by a win in the $65,000 Washington Oaks.

Assistant trainer Kay Cooper is pleased with the way Class Included is coming up to the race.

“She came out of her win in the Oaks really well and she had an excellent work preparing for this,” said Cooper. “She’s just a happy girl right now.”

Class Included is versatile and Russell Baze figures to have her sitting in a stalking position early.

Dashing Daisy is also on top of her game with three straight wins. She displayed a tremendous amount of courage in her thrilling win over Hard Way Ten and Orchid’s Silver in the $50,000 Delta Colleen on Sept. 5.

Dashing Daisy drew post-position 11, however, and that could be one of the factors that has trainer Troy Taylor leaning in Summer Song’s direction.

“I actually think Summer Song is the better horse,” said Taylor.

Taylor has always had a soft spot for Summer Song, who is coming off a second-place finish behind Notoriously in the $75,000 City of Edmonton Distaff at Northlands on Aug. 20.

Trainer Elizabeth Stolzenberg is hoping Classic Alley Kat will be able to carry her substantial speed farther than she has in the past. Classic Alley Kat has won four sprint stakes this year but she finished second to Wando Woman after setting extreme fractions in the 1 1/16-mile Strawberry Morn.

Wando Woman will appreciate having Classic Alley Kat in the field.

Hard Way Ten could take a big step forward in her second try going around three turns for trainer Doris Harwood.

Herbie D favored in CTHS Sales Stakes

Herbie D figures to be a short price in the $50,000 CTHS Sales Stakes for 3-year-olds going 1 1/16 miles.

Trained by Rob Gilker, Herbie D set a quick pace and was still in the race at the top of the stretch before fading to finish seventh in the Grade 3, $200,000 British Columbia Derby on Sept 11. He was coming off a very good effort in his first try going around three turns in the $50,000 B.C. Cup Stellar’s Jay. Herbie D finished second but was awarded the victory after the stewards disqualified Jump Up and Kissme for a bumping incident between the two horses at the top of the stretch.