Summer Song brings streak

VANCOUVER, British Columbia - Summer Song and Against the Sky look like the main players in the $50,000 Delta Colleen for older fillies and mares Saturday at Hastings. The 1 1/8-mile race drew six horses and serves as the supporting feature to the $125,000 British Columbia Oaks.

Summer Song has improved dramatically in her last two starts, both at Northlands Park where she was trained by Alan May. Her trainer here, Troy Taylor, has always thought she was talented, and it seems like she is just starting to put it all together. Despite wide trips in the Madamoiselle and the , she crushed her opponents. She drew the rail in the Delta Colleen, and she should save ground going around three turns.

Taylor also has entered Lady Raj, who is coming off of a second-place finish behind Holy Nova in the Strawberry Morn Handicap Sept. 7.

Taylor gives the nod to Summer Song in the Delta Collen.

"These are tougher horses than she was facing in Edmonton, but it's hard to knock her form right now," he said. "There is nothing wrong with Lady Raj, but I've always thought Summer Song was something special, and maybe she'll prove me right."

The barn's main rider, Mario Gutierrez, will ride Summer Song. Chad Hoverson will be aboard Lady Raj.

Against the Sky, trained by Craig MacPherson, is undefeated at nine furlongs, and one of her four wins was in the Grade 3 Ballerina last year. Ridden by Frank Fuentes, Against the Sky is coming off a third-place finish behind Holy Nova and Lady Raj in the Strawberry Morn. MacPherson blames the track condition for her subpar effort.

"It was drying out, and she likes it either sloppy or fast," MacPherson said. "She usually drags Frank around there, but he said she was struggling to get a hold of the track right from the start."

In her previous start, Against the Sky won the B.C. Cup Distaff by a length over Rosada.

Blue Sky Holiday, winner of the 2008 B.C. Oaks, is looking for her first win of the year.

Include the Grande will set the pace but appears to be overmatched.

Mizz Shaken, trained by Harold Barroby, could be the surprise package. She is coming off a win in a $25,000 optional race on Sept. 13 and could take a big step forward in her third start on dirt. She had been based at Woodbine, where she ran mostly on Polytrack.