Kamps's 'Jewels' in good form

VANCOUVER, British Columbia - Trainer Rick Kamps is having a successful meet with his moderately sized stable, winning eight races from just 29 starts. Over the last couple of years Kamps has also won with half of the horses that recently moved to his barn, and that number would have been higher if Key to the Point and St. Cajetan, who both nearly won while making their first start for Kamps last weekend.

It might be worth considering those facts when trying to figure out the winner of Sunday's sixth race at Hastings, an $8,000 claiming sprint for fillies and mares.

Kamps will saddle Jewels Again for the first time, and while it's not very often that a horse who has been racing in the bushes wins races at Hastings, Jewels Again has some back class and should have some confidence coming off of two straight wins in Kamloops this year. She also closed out her 2003 campaign with a win over $4,000 optional horses at Hastings on Nov. 22.

Jewels Again, ridden by leading jockey Pedro Alvarado, has some tactical speed and should get a good trip just behind possible favorite Cassidy Princess and Incredible Act.

Cassidy Act has finished first in three of her five starts this year, but had her number taken down in a similar race on July 10 when she drifted toward the rail in the late stretch and forced Anointed One to check sharply.

A daughter of Bold Laddie, Cassidy Act has won most of her races on the lead, but came from slightly off the pace in her latest. With the speedy Incredible Act in the field, it's likely that jockey Chris Loseth will use similar tactics.