Outoftheclouds tops CTHS Sale Stakes

VANCOUVER, British Columbia – Serving as an advertisement for the Canadian Thoroughbred Yearling and Mixed Sale being held at the Thunderbird Show Park on Tuesday, Hastings has carded both divisions of the CTHS Sales Stakes for 2-year-olds Sunday. To be eligible to the races, horses must have gone through a CTHS Sale with all the commissions being paid.

Both races are at 6 1/2 furlongs and worth $50,000.

The colts and geldings division drew six horses and goes as race 4.

Outoftheclouds has been installed as the 7-5 favorite and is clearly the one to beat, despite being a maiden. Trained by Mel Snow, Outoftheclouds set quick fractions and held on well to finish third in the B.C. Cup Nursery on Aug. 2 and then lost by a head to Stormy Canuck as the heavy favorite when he came back to run in a maiden special weight race Aug. 20. He was purchased out of last year’s sale for $1,500 by agent Daryl Snow and subsequently sold to his current owners who race under the stable name Totally Unstable.

Dave Wilson picks up the mount from Fernando Perez, who is in a hospital due to breathing problems and chest pains.

El Aguila Real could be the main threat, and one of the reasons he shouldn’t be taken lightly is he is owned and trained by Juan Olmos who has done a tremendous job with his babies over the past few years. Olmos campaigned the past two local juvenile champions and also has the current division leader in his barn, Tlaquepaque. El Aguila Real was a sharp winner when he debuted in a $20,000 maiden claiming race going 3 1/2 furlongs Aug. 8. He worked a strong five furlongs in a minute flat Sept. 4 and should make good use of his speed breaking from the rail.

The fillies division attracted seven horses, and it looks like trainer Dino Condilenios has a good shot at winning the race with either Embankment or Pigtails.

Embankment figures to be favored off of her second-place finish in the B.C. Cup Debutante, but Condilenios has a hard time separating her from Pigtails, who was third.

“Every time I’ve put them together, they worked nose to nose,” Condilenios said. “Pigtails didn’t have the best trip in the Debutante, and I think it just depends on which horse gets the better trip on Sunday.”

Pigtails is the only winner in the field and could be dangerous, if she breaks alertly from her inside post.

Nuj Nuj Wink Wink, a distant third behind Overvalued in the $51,000 Lassie on Aug. 26, looks like the main threat to the Condilenios pair.