Second place still available

VANCOUVER, British Columbia - It is hard to get past Huitzilopochtli in the $60,000 CTHS Sales Stakes for 2-year-old colts and geldings at Hastings on Sunday. The 6 1/2-furlong feature drew eight horses and goes as the seventh race.

Trained and owned by Juan Olmos, Huitzilopochtli has won the last two stakes races for 2-year-olds here by a combined 16 lengths and he will obviously be odds-on to win Sunday. In his last start, only two horses ran against him in the 6 1/2-furlong New Westminster Stakes on Aug. 28, and they were completely overmatched as he cruised to a 7 1/4-length victory. According to Olmos, Huitzilopochtli is coming up to Sunday's race in good shape.

"I have gone pretty easy on him since he ran," said Olmos. "He looks good, and hopefully he continues to run as well as he has."

Fernando Perez retains the mount.

Dyna Stroll, trained by Troy Taylor, came within 1 1/2 lengths of Huitzilopochtli when he finished second in the $54,000 River Rock Stakes on July 12. He wasn't much of a threat, however, when he tried him again in the B.C. Cup Nursery, finishing third by more than nine lengths.

"I like my horse, but do you really think he can beat Huitzilopochtli?' said Taylor. "I didn't think so."

Clear to Canada should have some potential. He is a half-brother to El Sinaloense, a horse trained by Olmos who was the 2-year-old champion in British Columbia last year. In his first start for trainer Terry Clyde, Clear to Canada scored a front-running win in a six-furlong maiden special weight race Aug. 28. Bred and owned by Mike Anderson, Clear to Canada was withdrawn from last year's sale when he became sick. In order to be eligible to this race horses had to be cataloged to a Canadian Thoroughbred Horse Society Sale and all the nomination fees and required commission had to have been to be paid.

"It was unfortunate he got sick, because El Sinaloense was going pretty good at the time," said Anderson. "We made all the payments so he can run in the Sales Stakes. We can't beat Huitzilopochtli, but we're using this as a prep for the Jack Diamond Futurity. Maybe missing the sale last year will turn out to be a blessing in disguise."

Huitzilopochtli is ineligible for the $100,000 Jack Diamond Futurity, which runs Oct. 4.

* The horse society is holding its yearling and mixed sale in Langley at the Thunderbird Show Park.