Kiri's Gal will try to jump-start MacPherson barn in claiming feature

VANCOUVER, British Columbia – Kiri’s Gal will try and give last year’s leading trainer, Craig MacPherson, his first win at the meet when she runs in a $12,500 claiming race that will serve as Saturday’s feature at Hastings. The 6 1/2-furlong sprint for fillies and mares drew six horses and goes as race 3 on a seven-race card that begins at 1:50 p.m. Pacific.

MacPherson, who won at a 28 percent clip while winning 40 races last year at Hastings, is off to an uncharacteristic slow start with a 0-5-3 record from his first 16 starters.

Kiri’s Gal has a good chance to start turning things around for the veteran conditioner. She is fast and was good enough to carry her speed around three turns when she won the $50,000 CTHS Sales Stakes in her final start as a 3-year-old in 2013. In her first start last year, she set the pace before tiring to finish third in a $20,000 claiming race.

Her only win in 2014 came at this level on Aug. 22, and she closed her season with a third-place finish as the favorite in a $16,000 claiming race Sept. 6.

Kiri’s Gal, scratched out of a $12,500 claiming race at Emerald Downs on Friday, will break from the outside post with Richard Hamel aboard.

Mike Anderson, this year’s leading trainer, will send out Dream Baby for her first start of the year. She is coming off a second-place finish in the claiming race Kiri’s Gal won last August.

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KEY CONTENDERS

Kiri’s Gal (Last 3 Beyers: 61-70-72)

◗ She is the speed of the speed and may have tipped her hand when she fired a bullet going four furlongs in 47.40 seconds May 2.

DRF FORMULATOR FACT: Over the past two years, Hamel and MacPherson have teamed to win at a 37 percent strike rate at Hastings.

Dream Baby (Last 3 Beyers: 66-58-73)

◗ She’s versatile, runs well fresh, and should get a nice trip from a stalking position with David Lopez aboard.

◗ Anderson is off to a hot start at the meet, winning 30 percent of his starts going into Saturday’s racing.

C. A. Miss (Last 3 Beyers: 63-52-70)

◗ Trained by John Snow, she looked good winning a $5,000 claiming race April 25 and could pick up the pieces if Dream Baby and Kiri’s Gal hook up early.

◗ Her latest win was the fourth in her last six starts.