Sprint suits April Foolish perfectly

VANCOUVER, British Columbia - Seven fillies and mares square off in the feature race at Hastings on Saturday. The $35,000 optional sprint drew stakes winners Ice Girl and Lilsisterlightning, but the tough horse could be April Foolish, who has won three times and finished second once in four sprints at this level during the meet.

April Foolish, who is trained by Toni Cloutier, has been a gem of consistency. When she sprints, she's very tough to beat, but she hasn't been able to carry her speed around three turns. In her last start, April Foolish set reasonable fractions in the 1 1/16-mile Delta Colleen Stakes Sept. 26, but true to form, she faded in the stretch to finish sixth. Before that she finished third to Stormented in the 6 1/2-furlong Cover Girl Handicap Sept. 5 and won a $35,000 optional sprint Aug. 8. She'll be ridden Saturday by David Wilson.

If Lilsisterlighting can pick up a check she'll go over $200,000 in earnings. Since she's hit the board in 20 of 26 starts at the distance, the odds weigh heavily in her favor. Throw in the fact that she is coming off of a second-place finish to Pretty Meadow, an easy allowance winner in her next start, and you can probably go to the bank.

Regal Heir also looks dangerous. She beat April Foolish earlier in the meet and has been very sharp in her recent workouts.

Ice Girl won the City of Edmonton Distaff Handicap Aug. 28 but wasn't a factor in either the Delta Colleen or the Ballerina.