Top fillies get to stay at home

VANCOUVER, British Columbia - Trainers Dino Condilenios and Ned Sams were relieved when an appropriate race for their 3-year-old fillies filled Saturday at Hastings. The 1 1/16-mile feature, a $22,000 allowance with no conditions, drew six horses and goes as the 10th race.

Napa, who is trained by Condilenios, beat the Sams-trained Restless Lady by a length in the Emerald Downs at Hastings on May 20. With no stakes races for 3-year-old fillies on the schedule here until the Supernaturel on July 7, Condilenios and Sams, who also trains double stakes winner Chelsey's Image, were considering shipping their horses to Alberta for the $75,000 Penny Ridge at Stampede Park on June 17. Neither trainer wanted to make the trip.

Napa and Restless Lady will be going around three turns for the first time, and although Napa finished first in the Emerald Downs, it's possible that Restless Lady will go off as the favorite Saturday.

Restless Lady has the best Tomlinson Figure for the distance in the field, and in the Emerald Downs it appeared that she made a premature move into a very fast pace before tiring.

Napa has the look of a horse that will appreciate the added distance, though. She ran evenly to finish second behind Suva in the CTHS Sales Stakes on April 28 and then made a strong late move to win the Emerald Downs.

Chelsey's Image is the only horse in the field to have gone 1o1/16 miles, finishing third in the Fantasy Stakes last year.