Rematch for Morning Blurs, Astartobe in Monday claimer

VANCOUVER, British Columbia – The last time Morning Blurs and Astartobe met, on July 28 in a $16,000 claiming race for 3-year-old fillies, Morning Blurs set a quick pace and held on to beat Astartobe by a nose. With other speed in the field, a different result could be in the cards Monday in a $25,000 claiming race for sophomore fillies at Hastings.

Post time for the first of seven races is 5 p.m. Pacific, and the feature is race 4.

Morning Blurs likely will be favored in the 6 1/2-furlong dash, which drew seven horses. Following her narrow win over Astartobe, she romped by 6 1/2 lengths in a $16,000 conditional claimer for fillies and mares for trainer Nancy Betts on Aug. 13. She was claimed out of the race by trainer Anita Bolton, who was acting on behalf of Terry Jordan.

Jordan, 75, is a hands-on owner and is at the barn every morning. As a trainer, he has won 594 races from 1,790 starters, an excellent 29 percent strike rate. He trained Hollywood Hit, the 2010 champion male sprinter in Canada, and True Metropolitan, the champion older male in Canada in 2006 and 2007, and his trainees have earned more than $11 million.

Morning Blurs will break from post 2 with Enrique Gonzalez riding. If she breaks on top, she could be gone.

If Morning Blurs can’t clear Jazz Lady, who will break from the rail, Astartobe should pick up the pieces of what could be an all-out duel.

KEY CONTENDERS

Morning Blurs, by Second in Command
Last 3 Beyers: 68-60-53

◗ She is on top of her game right now, and might be able to handle pace pressure from Jazz Lady and still win.

Astartobe, by Astrology
Last 3 Beyers: 60-55-48

◗ She is trending in the right direction for trainer Mark Cloutier, and the shape of the race could work for her.

◗ The Pennsylvania-bred filly has had three solid works since her narrow loss to Morning Blurs, and it is encouraging to see leading rider Richard Hamel take the call. Hamel has won with three of his five mounts from Cloutier at the meet, with a median win price of $9.90.

Jazz Lady, by Mizzen Mast
Last 3 Beyers: 47-65-55

◗ She is stakes-placed at Saratoga and Hastings, and the only time she ran in a straight claiming race she was an easy front-running winner of a $16,000 claimer on May 7.

◗ The Phil Hall-trained Louisiana-bred will try to make amends after fading as the heavy favorite in a $35,000 optional-claiming race July 22.

◗ She has speed but has won from a stalking position. However, she drew the rail, which probably leaves Amadeo Perez with just one option.