Pair of Condilenios trainees lead featured optional claimer

VANCOUVER, British Columbia – Trainer Dino Condilenios has an excellent shot at winning a $50,000 optional-claiming race that will serve as Sunday’s feature at Hastings. After all, he will saddle two of the five horses entered in the 6 1/2-furlong sprint, which goes as the second of eight races carded.

Modern looks like the one to beat, but his stablemate, Stratify, could be dangerous while cutting back to the distance of all four of his previous wins.

Modern is the one they will have to catch, though, and he could be gone if he breaks alertly from the inside post with Frank Fuentes aboard.

In his only sprint this year, Modern dueled through honest fractions and was able to hold off a determined Go for Guinness by a nose. He came back with two solid efforts going 1 1/16 miles in the $50,000 Sir Winston Churchill and $50,000 Lieutenant Governors before fading in a $35,000 optional-claiming race in his last start.

Key contenders

Modern (Last 3 Beyers: 64-86-83)

* The main speed, he has been freshened since he finished a disappointing sixth in a $35,000 optional-claiming race July 20. According to DRF ’s Formulator, over the past five years, Condilenios has a 20 percent strike rate with horses coming back between 31 and 60 days. It jumps to 28 percent with horses coming back in the same time period and going from a route to a sprint.

Stratify (Last 3 Beyers: 74-88-71)

* The 88 Beyer Speed Figure he received for his win in a $25,000 claiming race two back is the best figure at any distance in the field. He should appreciate the move back to a sprint after forcing an honest pace in a 1 1/16-mile allowance race Aug. 3.

El Capone (Last 3 Beyers: 77-70-76)

* Trained by John Snow, he looked good in winning an unrestricted one-mile allowance race Aug. 24 at Emerald Downs and shouldn’t mind the move back to the distance at which three of his four wins came.

* He retains leading rider Amadeo Perez, who has won with 23 percent of his mounts for Snow at the last two meets.

Hopeseeker (Last 3 Beyers: 83-67-66)

* The Carl Lausten trainee is coming off a sharp second in a first-level allowance Aug. 18, and he owns the best last-race Beyer. He isn’t the most consistent horse, though, and the shape of the race might not work in his favor.