Hastings: Orchid's Silver should have no problem with Vancouver Sun distance

VANCOUVER, British Columbia – There are no real standouts in the older filly and mare division at Hastings this year and a case could be made for any of the seven horses entered in the $50,000 Vancouver Sun at Hastings Sunday. The 1 1/16-mile feature is the first middle-distance stakes race for the division at the meet and the added distance should help Orchid’s Silver, who won the Grade 3 Ballerina in her final start of 2011.

Trained by Lenore Dubois, Orchid’s Silver showed surprising speed when she finished third in a 6 1/2-furlong allowance race in her first start of the year April 29. Orchid’s Silver came back with a dull effort in the $50,000 Brighouse Belles, but she might not have cared for the sloppy conditions of the track.

Orchid’s Silver clearly wants more distance, and the farther they go the better. She won an $8,000 starter race going 1 7/16 miles before jumping into stakes company in the 1 1/16-mile Delta Colleen and finished third, losing by only a neck. She proved her strong performance in the Delta Colleen was no fluke when she came back to win the 1 1/8-mile Ballerina over the B.C. Oaks winner Class Included.

Dubois is looking forward to stretching out Orchid’s Silver.

“She really doesn’t want to sprint so I’m not concerned about her last race,” she said. “She is really coming around now.”

Amadeo Perez will ride Orchid’s Silver.

Overvalued, trained by Tracy McCarthy, set the pace and held off a determined Burnin’ Britches to win the 6 1/2-furlong Brighouse Belles by a neck. She carried her speed 1 1/16 miles when she won the Supernaturel last year.

Burnin’ Britches has tactical speed and should keep Overvalued Honest. Trained by Greg Tracy, Burnin’ Britches hasn’t had any success going around three turns, however, finishing fifth in the Supernaturel and seventh in the Northlands Park Oaks in her only two attempts.

Wando Woman won the Vancouver Sun last year and came right back to win the Strawberry Morn for trainer Cindy Krasner. She rallied to finish fourth in the Brighouse Belles and could be dangerous stretching out for the first time this year.

Trainer Troy Taylor, owner Glen Todd and jockey Fernando Perez will be trying to win their fourth straight stakes at the meet in the Vancouver Sun. They are teaming up with Caged Mistress, who is coming off a sixth-place finish in the Brighouse Belles. It was her first start since she finished second to Wando Woman in last year’s Sun.

Castinette Dancer and Terlani round out the field.