Hastings: Crew Leader returns to sprinting after career-best Beyer

VANCOUVER, British Columbia – Crew Leader, a romping seven-length winner of the Portland Mile Handicap on Sept. 2, could be tough to handle when he cuts back to a sprint in the feature race at Hastings Saturday. The 6 1/2-furlong allowance race for 3-year-olds and up drew eight horses and there should be plenty of speed to set up a very sharp Crew Leader.

Trained by Teddy Hurt, Crew Leader earned a career-best 98 Beyer Speed Figure for his easy win at Portland with Debbie Hoonan aboard, and if he can post a similar figure sprinting they will not likely be able to beat him. He would look a lot better if he had more distance to work with, but Hurt is confident the 6-year-old Darley-bred gelding will be able to handle the move back to a distance at which he has won a couple of races.

“It doesn’t matter how far he’s going – he’s jumping out of his skin right now,” Hurt said. “He won going 6 1/2 in 15 and change, so I know he can sprint.”

Hurt was referring to Crew Leader’s win in a $50,000 optional race in 1:15.62 in 2011 for trainer Dino Condilenios. He has not won sprinting since, though. Hurt claimed Crew Leader on behalf of Kirk Sutherland when Condilenios dropped him into a $25,000 claiming race on July 7. It was the first time the 2011 S.W. Randall Plate winner ran in a straight claiming race. Hurt said if Crew Leader runs as well as he expects, he was looking at giving him a shot on turf in the $35,000 Walter R. Cluer Memorial Stakes at Turf Paradise on Oct. 26. The one-mile distance of the Cluer should suit him perfectly.

Hoonan retains the mount and also will ride him in the Cluer if he runs.

The horse they will have to catch in the feature is Golden Triumph, who is coming off a second-place finish behind multiple stakes winner Taylors Deal going six furlongs in the $50,000 Express Stakes here Sept. 2. Trained by Condilenios, Golden Triumph won a $24,000 claiming race at 6 1/2 furlongs in his previous start on July 7 and with a strong four-furlong workout on Sept. 26 he could be sitting on a big effort in his second start back.

Condilenios also has entered Stratify, who won’t mind the move back to a sprint after just missing to former Grade 3 winner Tommy Danzigger going 1 1/16 miles in a $25,000 claiming race Sept. 21.

Senor Rain figures to move forward after finishing fourth in the Express in his first start since April 13.