Modern seeks fourth straight George Royal win

VANCOUVER, British Columbia – Modern will try to win the $50,000 George Royal for an unprecedented fourth consecutive year Monday at Hastings. Also on the holiday card, which begins at 2 p.m. Pacific, is the $50,000 Vancouver Sun, in which Alliford Bay will be a short price to win the 6 1/2-furlong sprint that drew nine fillies and mares.

If Modern is victorious in the 6 1/2-furlong sprint for 3-year-olds and up that drew eight horses, he will give trainer Dino Condilenios his seventh win in the last nine years in the prestigious race named after the all-time best British Columbia-bred. Condilenios’s other winners in the streak are Teide in 2010, Almost Time in 2012, and Shrug in 2013. All four are owned by Swift Thoroughbreds Inc.

Modern is coming off an eighth-place finish in the $50,000 Swift Thoroughbreds Inaugural on April 22. As usual, he was in the mix early, and after dueling with Quick and Silver through honest fractions, he faded in the stretch. Quick and Silver held on well to finish second behind Blue Law, who also is entered.

Condilenios wasn’t disappointed with the effort by Modern, an 8-year-old son of Tiznow.

“He needed the race and he was very game until he just ran out of steam,” he said. “He’s getting up there in age, but time hasn’t seemed to have caught up with him yet. He came back to work a strong half-mile, so I think he’s ready for a big race.”

Last year Modern was voted the champion older horse and sprinter in British Columbia. Along with the George Royal, he won the $75,000 Lieutenant Governor’s and the $50,000 Pacific Customs Brokers Classic. Beginning in 2015, Richard Hamel rode Modern in all of his races until the Swift Inaugural, when Enrique Gonzalez picked up the mount as Hamel took time off to recover from knee surgery. Gonzalez retains the mount, and there isn’t much doubt he will be gunning Modern to the lead after he breaks from the inside post.

With other speed in the field, it could set up for Blue Law. With Amadeo Perez riding, he came from a stalking position to win the Swift Inaugural by 3 1/2 lengths. Trained by Cindy Krasner, Blue Law was running in a two-turn sprint for the first time. He was a $15,000 claim by owner Tim Bankers at Emerald Downs last July 15, and prior to making his first start for Krasner in the Swift Inaugural he won three races for trainer Manuel Ortiz.

He has thrived since arriving at Hastings and was well in hand when he worked a bullet five furlongs in 59.20 seconds with Perez aboard May 6.

Alliford Bay tough to dismiss

It is hard to get past Alliford Bay in the Vancouver Sun. Despite going wide around the first turn while chasing a fast pace, the Blaine Wright-trained 4-year-old daughter of City Zip drew away from her overmatched rivals in the $50,000 Brighouse Belles on April 22. Ridden by Rico Walcott, she paid $2.50 for her 3 1/2-length victory over Good Luck to You.

The lack of other speed in the Sun will make her tough to beat Monday. Wright is pleased with how she is coming up to the race. Following her victory in her first start at Hastings, she returned to Emerald Downs, where she had a couple of solid interim works.

“She hasn’t missed a beat,” Wright said. “Everything has gone according to schedule, and hopefully, we can get lucky and come up there to score again.”

She will break from post 3 with Walcott riding.

Three-time Grade 3 Ballerina winner Touching Promise makes her first start since she was the runner-up in the Sun last year. Trained by Barbara Heads, she has looked great on the track this spring, but she really wants more distance.

Trainer Phil Hall is expecting another strong performance from Good Luck to You.