Spirit Bay gets away from bullring in optional claimer

Trainer Phil Hall thinks the Hastings stakes winner Spirit Bay might be a better horse on a one-mile track. She’ll get her chance to prove him right in a $25,000 optional-claiming race at Emerald Downs on Saturday.

Spirit Bay has been running pretty well at the Vancouver track, which measures just more than five furlongs in circumference, winning the $100,000 Sadie Diamond Futurity and finishing second in the $50,000 CTHS Sales Stakes last year.

After failing to keep up with the sensational Daz Lin Dawn in back-to-back stakes races, Spirit Bay finished third in a first-level allowance for 3-year-old fillies on June 17.

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“She seems to have a hard time handling the turns at Hastings,” said Hall. “There aren’t any races for her [at Hastings] right now, and we’ve seen enough of Daz Lin Dawn. It seemed like a good time to see what she can do on a mile track.”

Spirit Bay has decent tactical speed and should get a nice trip from the outside post with Julien Couton riding.

Hall also has entered Babys Got Track, who finished a length in front of Spirit Bay in second on June 17.

“I’m not sure if she’s going to make the trip,” said Hall. “We’ll see.”

The horse they will all have to beat in the 6 1/2-furlong dash for 3-year-old fillies that drew seven horses is Gazing. Trained by Terry Gillihan, Gazing is coming off a runner-up finish at this level going six furlongs on June 18, and the 70 Beyer Speed Figure she received is easily the best in this field.

KEY CONTENDERS

Gazing, by Harbor the Gold
Last 3 Beyers: 70-56-58

◗ The lightly raced Washington-bred hasn’t been worse than second in three starts, and she took a big step forward in her last race with apprentice Kevin Orozco riding.

◗ She is reunited with leading rider Rocco Bowen, who was aboard when she won her debut for trainer Charles Essex in a $15,000 maiden-claiming race from which she was claimed by Gillihan on behalf of William Sandeman. Bowen also rode her when she was the runner-up in a $25,000 optional-claiming race on May 20 in her first start for her new connections.

Spirit Bay, by Gayego
Last 3 Beyers: 56-47-49

◗ Like the rest of the 3-year-old fillies at Hastings, she couldn’t keep up with Daz Lin Dawn in the B.C. Cup Dogwood and Ross McLeod stakes. Her other races put her in the mix though, and she just might thrive in her first try in a one-turn sprint.

Daddyalwayssays, by Sky Mesa
Last 2 Beyers: 64-51

◗ Trained by Kay Cooper, she was an impressive debut winner and will appreciate the easier company after tackling stakes horses in the $50,000 Kent in her second start.

Sorceress Warning, by Elusive Warning
Last 3 Beyers: 51-65-60

◗ The Manny Ortiz-trained California-bred cuts back to a sprint after going wide on both turns in the one-mile, $50,000 Irish Day on June 25.