Quick filly from south one to catch

VANCOUVER, British Columbia - Emerald Downs invader Marianne Rose and locally based Zaylaway head the $50,000 Lassie Stakes at Hastings Saturday. The 6 1/2-furlong feature for 2-year-old fillies drew nine horses and goes as the seventh race.

Trained by Richard Wright, Marianne Rose is coming off of a game second-place finish in a 6 1/2-furlong allowance race at Emerald Aug. 6. She battled through honest fractions before giving way to finish a neck back. Marianne Rose was an easy winner when she debuted in a $40,000 maiden race July 8, and in her next start she finished fourth in the Angie C stakes July 16. This will be Marianne Rose's first start outside of Emerald, and Wright thinks she'll appreciate the smaller Hastings track.

"She's a small filly that tries hard, and I think she'll just skip around the turns up there," he said. "I'm not worried about the outside post because she can tuck in if she has to."

Marianne Rose drew post 9 and will be ridden by Ben Russell. Now based at Emerald, Russell was the leading rider at Hastings in 1999.

There is plenty of other speed in the field, and if Marianne Rose gets caught up in a speed duel it could set up nicely for Zaylaway, who comes out of the Janet Armstrong barn.

Zaylaway came from just off the pace to win the Timber Music Stakes July 8. In her latest race she was a fast-closing third in the Princess Margaret Stakes at Northlands Park Aug. 5.