Overact looks like one to beat

VANCOUVER, British Columbia - Two-year-old fillies get their first chance to stretch out in Saturday's $50,000 Fantasy Stakes at Hastings. Overact figures to be a solid favorite over six others with Timber Music winner Sungold Skippy the likely second choice.

Overact, owned by Exclusive Stable and Raymond Hanson, will have to be at her best to win. She drew outside, and hasn't raced since being moved up to first in the Lassie Stakes Aug. 17. Trainer David Forster has given Overact a steady diet of works since, and she looked good working six furlongs in 1:13.60 seconds Sept. 28. If Overact breaks sharply, she has enough early speed to clear and could be tough to catch if uncontested. Nicola Wright rides.

Comic Opera, ridden by Fernando Serna, is still a maiden but is second to Overact in overall earnings with $35,339. Comic Opera earned a large chunk of that with a good second to She's a Bombshell in the Sadie Diamond Futurity.

Although Comic Opera is a smallish filly, trainer Jim Brown said he thinks she can excel at the 1 1/16-mile distance.

"She came out of the futurity in good shape, and they all have to carry the same weight," he said, referring to the fact that all the fillies will carry 122 pounds. "She's certainly bred for the distance, and I think she'll run a good race Saturday."

Sungold Skippy is the only other stakes winner in the field, and she has had a race since finishing a close third behind Silent Bet and Overact in the Lassie Stakes. Sungold Skippy took on colts and geldings in an allowance race Sept. 21 and put forth a creditable effort, finishing fifth to Nihilator. Leading rider Pedro Alvarado will have the mount for the first time.