A. V. Flynn can fly, if she goes

SAN MATEO, Calif. - Trainer Steve Miyadi likes just about everything about A. V. Flynn going into Saturday's $55,000-added Bay Meadows Distaff Sprint.

The stakes-winning filly has the most speed in the field of seven fillies and mares. She is drawn to the outside. She won her lone start at Bay Meadows last fall at the same six-furlong distance by six lengths, defeating Butters, who is one of her rivals Saturday.

But with recent rain, Miyadi has one big concern.

"If the track is wet-fast, she's not going to run," Miyadi said. "The stewards, in the past, have considered wet-fast to be like a fast track and won't let you scratch, but I've seen too many injuries on wet-fast."

Horses are given more leeway to scratch from stakes, so Miyadi shouldn't have to worry about the stewards letting him scratch his speedy filly.

The rest of the field will have plenty to worry about if A. V. Flynn doesn't scratch.

"I like her speed and her draw, and she has been working well," Miyadi said.

A. V. Flynn set a Pleasanton track record of 55.92 seconds for five furlongs when she won her debut by 13 lengths as a 2-year-old in 2006. She followed up with an equally easy victory in the Solano County Juvenile Fillies.

A small chip in her ankle sent her to the sidelines for six months. She ran in the Sunshine Millions Oaks in January 2007 in her comeback at 3 and was never a factor after the opening quarter-mile.

After another nine months on the sidelines, she scored an impressive win here in a $50,000 optional claimer, beating older competitors. She then ran third after going too fast early and opening a five-length lead on the Golden Gate Fields Tapeta surface in her last start, on Dec. 14.

Fleetheart, making her first start since a disappointing effort in the Osunitas Handicap on the turf at Del Mar last July 21, could be her top competition. She won her first four starts, including three at Saturday's six-furlong distance.

Stakes winners Royal Kleven and Butters figure to be challenging late. Butters comes off a win here on the opening weekend of the meet.

Rounding out the field are stakes-placed Beautiful Dixie, making her first start in nine months; La Cocasse, off three months; and Reba Is Tops, who scored an allowance victory in her last start on Jan. 20 at Golden Gate Fields.