Wind Storm a confirmed sprint ace

VANCOUVER, British Columbia - Trainer Dave Forster was in a good mood at Hastings on Thursday morning. Asked how his barn was coming along this year he replied, "It's pretty good. The roofs don't leak." One of the reasons for Forster's excellent frame of mind is that he has Wind Storm entered in a classified allowance race for fillies and mares on Sunday. Wind Storm figures to be a very short price in the six-furlong feature, which drew seven horses and goes as the eighth race.

Wind Storm won half of her six starts at Hastings in 2009, including the $53,000 Senate Appointee by more than six lengths. All of her races were in sprints, and the only time she finished out of the top three sprinting was when she debuted in a maiden special weight race in 2007. Overall she is 8-1-5 in her 14 sprints. Going a middle distance she has started five times and placed just once.

"It took me five years but I've finally figured it out," said Forster. "From now on she is only going to run in sprints."

A 6-year-old mare, Wind Storm was bred by her owner, George Gilbert. Last year Wind Storm closed out her campaign with a couple of third-place finishes against colts and geldings, including the British Columbia Cup Sprint won by Woombroom Express. According to Forster, she is coming up to the race in excellent shape. He was especially pleased with her five-furlong work in 59.40 seconds last Tuesday.

"She was well within herself," he said. "She should run her race."

If he's right, she is going to be very tough to beat with usual rider Richard Hamel in the irons.

Blue Sky Holiday is the only other stakes winner in the field, and she has graded credentials, with a win in the 2008 Grade 3 B.C. Oaks. Trained by John Snow, Blue Sky Holiday also won the 1 1/8 miles Delta Colleen last year. She has plenty of class but not a lot of speed. She is going to have a hard time catching up to Wind Storm, who figures to get a nice trip from just off of what figures to be a fast and contested pace.

Quincy Welch will ride Blue Sky Holiday.

Snow has also entered the undefeated Concert Music. A Florida-bred 4-year-old by Concerto, Concert Music won her only two starts by over 14 lengths but hasn't raced in more than 11 months and will get a real class test today.