Rematch brewing in B.C. Oaks

VANCOUVER, British Columbia - Lecturing Lynn figures to be a lukewarm favorite over Blue Sky Holiday in the Grade 3, $125,000 British Columbia Oaks on Saturday. The 1 1/8-mile Oaks drew eight horses and goes as the eighth race.

The Oaks is the first half of the B.C. Oaks-B.C. Derby double. The $250,000 B.C. Derby goes on Sunday.

Supporting the Oaks is the $50,000 Delta Colleen Handicap, where Holy Nova will be a short price to win her fifth stakes race of the year.

Lecuturing Lynn deserves to be the favorite in the Oaks, but trainer John Snow likes his chances with Blue Sky Holiday. A Florida-bred filly by Victory Gallop, Blue Sky Holiday finished second by a length to Lecturing Lynn in the 1 1/16-mile Hong Kong Jockey Club on Aug. 30, and Snow feels she is coming into the Oaks in much better shape.

"She has tender feet, and we changed her shoes just before she ran last time," said Snow. "The track also came up a bit hard and it stung her feet a little as well. She's perfect now, and it also seems like the track has softened up since then. She couldn't be doing any better."

Blue Sky Holiday will be ridden by Chad Hoverson.

Trained by Tracy McCarthy, Lecturing Lynn is coming into the Oaks off two stakes wins. She won the $100,000 Sonoma Handicap at Northlands Park on Aug. 9 and the Hong Kong Jockey Club by forcing the early pace and finishing full of run in the stretch.

McCarthy is currently at Keeneland. Her husband and assistant trainer, Chris Loseth, is happy with the way Lecturing Lynn worked five furlongs in 1:02.80 on Sept. 13 with jockey Dave Wilson aboard.

"It was a typical Davie work," said Loseth. "He took a big hold early and then he let her roll the final quarter. It was similar to her work prior to the Hong Kong Jockey Club. She hasn't had any trouble handling a mile and a sixteenth, and the extra sixteenth shouldn't bother her."

Wilson retains the mount on Lecturing Lynn.

Lecturing Lynn should have some company early in the race. Heaven on Hold and Broken Hearted both have decent speed.

Broken Hearted, who is trained by Dale Greenwood and will be ridden by Quincy Welch, beat Lecturing Lynn in the $75,000 Northlands Oaks on July 19. In her most recent start, she finished fourth in the Sonoma.