Swifter pace should help deep closer Kwik

VANCOUVER, British Columbia – Just 14 days left at the Hastings meet and with the Pacific National Exhibition Fair over, the usual schedule of Friday, Saturday, and Sunday racing will be in effect for the next three weekends.

Friday’s feature is a $17,500 claiming race for 3-year-olds and up going 1 1/16 miles. It drew seven horses and goes as race 6 on the seven-race card that begins at 7 p.m. Pacific.

Trained by Toni Cloutier, Kwik looks like a solid favorite with a drop in class after finishing third in a 1 1/8-mile, $25,000 claiming race Sept. 1. A deep closer, Kwik came from well back to score by easy 4 3/4 lengths in a $32,000 optional race July 10 but has been hampered by modest fractions in his next two starts. With the speedy Huffman in the field, there should be a quick pace for Kwik in Friday’s race.

Great Prince would seem to be out of his element by more than doubling his price after winning a $7,500 claiming race Aug. 8. However, he has won 4 of 8 starts at the meet and will be getting in with a feathery 110 pounds with apprentice Ryan Pacheco riding.

Trained by Harold Barroby, Great Prince is also versatile. He came from well back to win his first of three in a row beginning May 24 and won his next two in the streak from a stalking position. He set a very slow pace when he scored a front-running win in his last start but he won’t be anywhere near what figures to be a lively pace Friday.

Huffman will undoubtedly be the one they will have to catch. He posted sprint-like fractions before fading in Kwik’s win July 10 and then just missed after setting modest fractions when he shortened up and dropped into a $17,500 claiming race Aug. 13. He was claimed out of the race by leading trainer Troy Taylor, who had lost him for the same price earlier this year.

I Wanna Go Fast won two sprints in a row before finishing fourth and being claimed by trainer Frank Barroby out of the same race as Huffman. I Wanna Go Fast has never won at a middle distance but he finished a close fourth to Kwik for $17,500 on June 4.