Nursery, Debutante open fest

VANCOUVER, British Columbia - The British Columbia Cup Nursery and the Debutante start the B.C. Cup Summer Festival of Racing Saturday at Hastings Park. Seven added money events have been scheduled over the B.C. Day holiday weekend culminating with the $65,000 B.C. Cup Classic Monday. Both the Nursery, for 2-year-old colts and geldings, and Debutante, for 2-year-old fillies, are worth $50,000 and will be run over 6 1/2 furlongs.

The Nursery drew a full field of 10 but it looks like a three-horse race among stakes winners Intact and Excited at Last and stakes-placed No Time Flat.

Intact figures to be a slight choice off of his game win in the Ladnesian Stakes July 21, in which he held off a determined bid by No Time Flat to prevail by a neck.

Excited at Last was an easy winner of the CTHS Sales Stakes.

Count Xanadu, Intact, and Excited at Last all will want the early lead, so the race could set up nicely for No Time Flat, who looked good winning his maiden from off of the pace and then just missed to Intact in the Ladnesian.

'Stranger' top choice in Debutante

Regal Heir is the lone stakes winner in the Debutante but she's likely to be second choice behind Beautiful Stranger, who finished a close second to highly regarded Lasting Code in the Timber Music July 21. "She should run big," said her trainer Dino Condilenios.

Steve Henson also likes his chances with Mywayortheskyway, who has the best Beyer Speed Figure in the race but drew the nine hole.

The Debutante is sponsored by Daily Racing Form.