Kai's Command primed for starter series

VANCOUVER, British Columbia – Trainer Jody Rawson is hoping that Kai’s Command can retain his sharp form throughout the Champions starter series that begins at Hastings on Sunday.

The four-race series is restricted to horses who have started for a claiming price of $8,000 or less in 2014. Claimed horses must reestablish eligibility. The first three legs are worth $16,000 each, with the top 11 horses based on points earned running for a $50,000 purse in the last leg Sept. 14. All four races will be contested over 6 1/2 furlongs.

Sunday’s first leg drew 16 horses, resulting in split divisions. Rawson’s 4-year-old Kai’s Command should be a solid favorite to win the sixth race. Emerald Downs invader Come Away Home is clearly the one to beat in race 7.

There also is a fillies-and-mares division, where Fair Command will be a short price in the 11-horse field that goes as the fifth race.

Rawson started getting excited about the series following an impressive win by Kai’s Command in an $8,000 claiming race May 11. Kai’s Command was coming off an easy win in his first start of the year in a bottom-level conditional claimer, earning a 78 Beyer Speed Figure. As a 3-year-old last year, Kai’s Command’s top figure was a 59.

“I knew he had improved when he won his first start, but I really started thinking about the series when he beat open company in his second start,” said Rawson.

Kai’s Command stamped himself as the one to beat in the series with a 5 1/2-length romp in a $16,000 claiming race June 8.

This will be his first start since, and according to DRF’s Formulator, over the past five years, Rawson has a 20 percent strike rate with horses coming back in 31-60 days.

“He’s run well fresh before, so I wasn’t worried about the five-week layoff,” said Rawson. “He can get pretty excited, so I was more concerned just about getting him to the race. He’s really grown up, though, and he’s handled the time off well.”

Richard Hamel rides.

Bubba Fizz, trained by Nancy Betts, is coming into the race off a sharp win in a $12,500 claiming race June 22. In his previous start, he finished second to Kai’s Command for $8,000 on May 11.

Honestly Occifer has won three straight races at Hastings for trainer Taylor Anderson. Anderson claimed Honestly Occifer for $5,000 at Turf Paradise on March 31.

◗ When trainer Jim Penney ships a horse from Emerald Downs to Hastings, it is worth paying attention. Over the past five years, he has won with 30 percent of his starters here, most recently with Hillside Select, who won a $25,000 maiden-claiming race June 15.

The Penney-trained Come Away Home has won his last two races at Emerald while posting 76 Beyers, and a similar figure would enable him to win the considerably easier second division. He has experience at Hastings, finishing second in a $17.500 conditional claimer for trainer Larry Ross in 2012.

Assistant trainer Kay Cooper is looking forward to running Come Away Home in the series.

“It’s a wonderful idea,” she said. “He’s right on top of his game, and it is nice to be able to run him where we can’t lose him. That is a pretty nice purse at the end of the series, too.”

Amadeo Perez rides Come Away Home.

Hockley, trained by Tracy McNeil, looks like the main threat off his win in an $8,000 claiming race in which he received a 69 Beyer. He could be ready for a peak effort in the third start of his current form cycle.

Gypsy Magic won’t mind the move back to a sprint after finishing third behind 17-time winner Bearrock N Roll in a $12,500 claiming race July 1. He won an $8,000 sprint for trainer Patty Leaney in his previous start.

◗ Fair Command is a standout in the fillies-and-mares division. Trained by Craig MacPherson, Fair Command is the main speed and is coming off an easy front-running win for $12,500 on June 7. She drew the rail, where she will be tough to catch if she breaks alertly with Hamel aboard.