Papparizishooting for third in a row

VANCOUVER, British Columbia - Papparizi will try to make it three straight wins as he faces a tough field of older claimers running for a top claiming price of $8,000 at Hastings Park. The 6 1/2-furlong event attracted eight horses and headlines a card that features full fields and competitive races.

Papparizi has found new life as a 6-year-old. Last season he could manage only a single victory, but he is a different horse this year. In the past, he would drop far out of it and make a late run that usually resulted in his getting a share of the purse, but rarely did his good late finish land him in the winner's circle. This season he started out with a similar style, where he sat in fifth place early and then passed a couple of tiring horses to get up for third. He was dropped all the way down to $2,500 for his next start, and surprisingly he was up close to a moderate pace, but this time he lost ground in the stretch to finish third. He put all together for his next start, a 7 1/2-length romp over $3,500 nonwinners of the year May 20.

Papparizi is coming off of his best race of the year, where he tracked a quick pace set by Kingsview before drawing off down the lane to score a handy two-length decision in a $6,000 claiming race at 6 1/2 furlongs. Trainer Cindy Krasner has named her husband Sam to ride.

Papparizi will be facing a contentious field that includes former stakes-winner Trap Me Not, who is returning to Hastings Park after running three times at Emerald, with a second place finish for $10,000 as his best result. He finished a well-beaten seventh in a $10,000 sprint in his last start, but he has good speed and could be dangerous leaving from post 1.