Heads holds strong hands in Ballerina, Premier's

VANCOUVER, British Columbia – Trainer Barbara Heads has an excellent chance of winning the $100,000 Ballerina and the Grade 3, $100,000 BC Premier’s Handicap on Saturday at Hastings. Both races will be contested over 1 1/8 miles, but the similarities end there.

The Ballerina, which goes as race 3 on a seven-race card that gets under way at 2 p.m. Pacific, figures to be little more than a paid workout for the Heads-trained Infinite Patience, who will be seeking her ninth straight stakes win. The Ballerina is for fillies and maresand run under scale-weight conditions, and the classy 5-year-old daughter of Sungold is shedding four pounds after toting 128 pounds on her way to a 4 3/4-length romp in the $50,000 Delta Colleen on Sept. 10. Due to her overwhelming presence, only three horses will line up against her, including her stablemate Solarity, who was the runner-up in the Delta Colleen. Wagering will be limited to win and exacta only.

The Premier’s, which was shortened from its traditional distance of 1 3/8 miles, is a more competitive event. Heads has a strong hand with At Attention and Arollercoasterride. Included in the six-horse field for 3-year-olds and up is Regal Riot, who edged Arollercoasterride by a head in the Grade 3 British Columbia Derby on Sept. 10.

The question in the Ballerina is who is going to run second? If not Solarity, it will likely be Kloepatra.

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Kloepatra is is coming off an impressive win in the $75,000 British Columbia Oaks on Sept. 10. Trained by Larry Grieve, the Kentucky-bred daughter of Cairo Prince came from midpack to win the 1 1/8-mile race going away.

She will break from the inside post with Kimal Santo retaining the mount.

As for Infinite Patience, Heads said she is doing quite well.

“She could not be doing better,” she said.

Heads said she was not looking past the Ballerina and not sure where or if Infinite Patience would run again this year.

“If she comes back in good shape, we will have a meeting to discuss future plans with her,” she said.

Infinite Patience will break from post 2 with usual rider Antonio Reyes aboard.

Daphne rounds out the field.

Heads likes the way Arollercoasterride came out of his big effort in the B.C. Derby, and he showed his readiness with a bullet five-furlong move in 58.60 seconds on Oct. 1. He was going around three turns for the first time in the Derby and could take a big step forward with the experience behind him.

“He’s really adapted well to the bullring, and I was surprised when the time came back for his work because he did it so easily,” she said.

A Kentucky-bred son of Curlin, Arollercoasterride will be the one they have to run down. He will break from the outside post with Silvino Morales picking up the mount from Reyes.

Reyes sticks with At Attention, who is coming off a runner-up finish behind Porter Gent in the $50,000 S.W. Randall Plate on Sept. 10.

The Robbie Anderson-trained Regal Riot is looking for his fourth stakes win at the meet.

Uncharacteristic, trained by Rob VanOverschot, will be rolling late. Last year’s top 3-year-old in Western Canada, he finished a head behind At Attention in the Randall Plate.

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