Title Contender will be tough to beat in John Longden 6000

VANCOUVER, British Columbia – Title Contender heads a strong field of eight older horses that will line up Monday in the $50,000 John Longden 6000 at Hastings Racecourse. The 6 1/2-furlong sprint goes as the last of nine races on the Victoria Day Card that begins at 1:50 p.m. Pacific.

Title Contender looked like a winner every step of the way when he made his 4-year-old debut on April 27 in the $50,000 George Royal at Hastings, and if he takes the expected move forward, he is going to be tough to handle Monday. With Rico Walcott aboard, the Grade 3 British Columbia Derby winner stalked a fast pace before taking control on the stretch turn to win by 1 1/2 lengths.

Trainer Anita Bolton was pleased with how Title Contender came back to work an easy half-mile in 47.40 seconds May 11. Walcott retains the mount.

The main threat should come from Shrug, who is making his first start since finishing last in the $48,000 S.W. Randall Plate at Hastings last September. A stakes winner in Southern California, Shrug took a shine to the Hastings surface when he arrived here last year, winning the George Royal and finishing second to Longacres Mile winner Herbie D in the Longden. Following the Longden, Shrug came back to hand Herbie D his only loss in 2013, in the $50,000 Sir Winston Churchill Handicap.

Shrug is trained by Dino Condilenios. He will be ridden by Frank Fuentes, who was aboard for his six-furlong breeze in 1:12.80 May 10.

“He’s doing really well, and I expect him to run a good race Monday,” said Condilenios, who in the past five years has won with 20 percent of his starters coming back from a layoff of 180 days or more.

There are only six betting interests due to the Troy Taylor-trained entry of Success Rate, Taylors Deal, and Devil in Disguise. All three are at least partly owned by Glen Todd.

“I think Taylors Deal is the best horse of the three, but he’s been off for a long time,” Taylor said.

Taylors Deal ran just once last year, winning the $50,000 Express Stakes despite being off for almost a year.

Trainer John Snow is expecting good races from his uncoupled pair of Twistgrips and Wilo Kat.

Twistgrips finished a surprising second in the George Royal Stakes, and Wilo Kat is coming off a third behind Grade 3 winner Commander in a $50,000 optional race May 4.

“They both ran huge, and neither had a great trip, especially Wilo Kat,” Snow said.

The classy 8-year-old Senor Rojo should be heard from late.

Honest pace for Strawberry Morn

There should be an honest pace to set up Madeira Park in the co-featured $50,000 Strawberry Morn Handicap for fillies and mares. The 6 1/2-furlong dash drew eight horses and goes as the eighth race.

Madeira Park really wants more distance, but she just missed to Hollywood Miss going 6 1/2 furlongs April 27 in the $50,000 Brighouse Belles Stakes, and she came back with a sharp four-furlong move in 47.20 seconds May 11.

Trainer Dave Forster has made a rider change from Rico Walcott to Amadeo Perez. Walcott rode Madeira Park in her last four races, which included wins in the Delta Colleen Handicap and Grade 3 Ballerina Stakes. He is the leading rider at Northlands, and Perez leads the standings at Hastings.

“Rico is a great rider, but I wanted someone who could stick with her the whole year, and he won’t be able to make it out here every time she runs,” Forster said.

Speed should be provided by Overvalued and I Think So.

Trainer Tracy McCarthy is looking for Overvalued to improve off her fifth-place finish in the Brighouse Belles. It was her first start since she finished second in the $50,000 Monashee Handicap going 1 1/16 miles last July 1.

“She put on about 200 pounds over the winter, and she really needed the race,” McCarthy said. “It also won’t hurt that she is moving from the outside post to the rail.”

I Think So, trained by Taylor, was under little pressure while walking through a 24-second first quarter-mile on her way to an easy-going six furlongs win in a $50,000 optional claiming race May 3.