Quiet Cash faces stiff challenge

VANCOUVER, British Columbia - Quiet Cash, who almost equalled the track record for 6 1/2 furlongs at Hastings in his last start, heads a field of six older horses running in Sunday's $75,000 Great Canadian Stakes. He figures to face stiff competition from Royal Place and Tobe Suave in the 1 1/16-mile feature.

Quiet Cash, trained by Terry Jordan, has won 3 of his 4 starts at Hastings this year and was unlucky not to win the Grade 3 Lieutenant Governors' on July 1. Quiet Cash, third in the Lieutenant Governors', was compromised by a slow start. Jordan was planning on working Quiet Cash between the Lieutenant Governors' and Sunday's race, but when an allowance race filled on July 17, Jordan chose to run him there.

Jordan said it couldn't have worked out better. "That was perfect," he said. "He ran a fast race but did it well within himself. It set him up nicely for this race." Chad Hoverson will ride Quiet Cash.

Royal Place, trained by Harold Barroby, has raced at Hastings four times. Although Royal Place's only victory at Hastings came in the 2004 Lieutenant Governors', he had rough trips in three other starts. A Florida-bred, Royal Place finished fifth in the Grade 3 Highlander Handicap at Woodbine on June 26 and looked very sharp in a five-furlong workout in 59.20 seconds at Hastings on July 17.

Tobe Suave scored an impressive win over Pure in a $75,000 optional race on July 9 and will be making just his third start of the year, so he could be ready for a peak performance.