'Superfly' opens and closes show

VANCOUVER, British Columbia - Superfly T N T, who opened the meet with a win over $25,000 maidens, should be one of the favorites in the featured race Sunday when Hastings Park concludes its 2001 live racing season. The featured race is a $50,000 optional sprint for 3-year-olds.

If Superfly T N T, who is trained by Dennis Terry, were to win Sunday it would cap a remarkable season for jockey Mark Patzer, who returned to the saddle this year after being off for close to a decade. Patzer and Terry have been longtime friends and it was Terry, a former jockey, who mentored Patzer when he first started to ride. Patzer's win aboard Superfly T N T in the first race at the meet showed that he hadn't lost any of his skills despite the lengthy time away. Patzer has won 12 stakes at the meet, more than any other rider, and enters the final weekend three wins behind David Wilson in the race for leading jockey.

Superfly T N T is as consistent as they come and has picked up a check in 15 of his 16 starts. His best races have been in sprints but he comes into Sunday's race off a nose loss to Thurston in an allowance race at 1 1/16 miles Oct. 13. He has good tactical speed and Patzer will need to use it to keep in touch with Double Time, who figures to be very tough on the lead.

Double Time has won three of his last four starts and has the best Beyer Speed Figure at the distance. He has won all of his races on the lead, and the only horse that looks capable of putting any pressure on him early is Icy Strait, who might be a bit dull coming off of a fourth-place finish going 1 1/16 miles.