Sunbird tries to bounce back in British Columbia Derby

Hastings hosts its most important race of the season Saturday, the Grade 3, $125,000 British Columbia Derby, in which Sunbird will try to make amends after suffering his first career defeat in the Canadian Derby on Aug. 26 at Century Mile.

The Terry Jordan trainee is 3 for 3 at Hastings. His lightly raced status hints that he has more upside potential than most of his rivals.

Adding intrigue to the field is the presence of Riverside, who three months ago was claimed for $50,000 out of a maiden race at Santa Anita. While Riverside sold as a 2-year-old for $310,000, the recent exploits of his younger half-brother, Prince of Monaco, make the situation all the more interesting.

A $950,000 yearling purchase, Prince of Monaco won the Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity last weekend for trainer Bob Baffert. In his prior start, the colt won the Grade 3 Best Pal Stakes at Del Mar, earning a 103 Beyer Speed Figure, the highest by a 2-year-old this year.

Riverside, still a maiden after nine races, has been away from the races for almost two months. Be that as it may, Riverside, who will make his first start for Gonzalo Anderson, boasts the top three Beyer Speed Figures earned by anybody in the BC Derby field.

Accidental Hero has raced three times in stakes company at Hastings this season and finished a strong third in the Canadian Derby. The Larry Grieve trainee finished behind Sunbird when third, beaten 2 1/4 lengths, in the Sir Winston Churchill on Aug. 7.

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The field also includes Century Mile allowance winner Kystone, who is trained locally by Steve Henson; Space, a recent maiden winner at Hastings trained by Mel Snow; and 2022 Century Mile stakes winner It’s a Fact, trained by Carson Frey.

The $75,000 BC Oaks tops the Saturday undercard. Air Force will attempt to win her fourth stakes of the Hastings season in a rematch with Washington Oaks winner Jamies Inheritance. Both went to Century Mile for the Century Casino Oaks on Aug. 26, finishing one-two with Jamies Inheritance getting the winner’s share. Air Force is trained by Keith Pedersen, while Jamies Inheritance is conditioned by Charles Essex.

Also carded Saturday are the Jack Diamond and Sadie Diamond futurities for British Colmubi-bred or -sired colts and geldings and fillies, respectively. The Sadie Diamond drew just five contestants, with only dual stakes winner Lizzie’s Rayne having previously visited the winner’s enclosure. David Milburn trains Lizzie’s Rayne.

A pair of debuting fillies, Eddie’s Girl and Viva La Diva, whose dams both won first out, seem mostly likely to offer the best challenges to Lizzie’s Rayne. Eddie’s Girl is trained by Edgar Mendoza, while Viva La Diva is trained by Barbara Heads.

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In the Jack Diamond Futurity, two-time stakes winner August Rain faces off against Aug. 28 maiden winner Vector, who impressed onlookers with his 8 3/4-length debut romp. August Rain is trained by Heads, while Vector is conditioned by Craig MacPherson.

The only other previous winner in the field is Pisco, trained by Dino Condilenios, who topped August Rain in their shared debut before finishing behind that foe in two subsequent stakes.

Diocles, trained by Pat Jarvis, put forth a rather amazing finish to miss by only a head when debuting in the BC Cup Nursery Stakes on Aug. 7. In his next race, he was compromised in the four-horse CTHS Sales Stakes. The expectation is that with a group of seven in the Jack Diamond Futurity, Diocles will get a more contested pace in front of him and rates a long look.

Pleasant weather is expected for the BC Derby Day card that begins at 2 p.m. Pacific.

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