Wright seeking stakes double with Alliford Bay, Quick and Silver

VANCOUVER, British Columbia – Trainer Blaine Wright and owner Peter Redekop have an excellent chance of sweeping the two stakes at Hastings on Sunday.

First up in race 5 is the $50,000 Brighouse Belles, where Alliford Bay will be a short price to win the 6 1/2-furlong dash, which drew seven fillies and mares. Quick and Silver will go off at longer odds than Alliford Bay, but he still figures to be favored in the $50,000 Swift Thoroughbreds Inaugural, which drew 12 older horses, although only 11 can run. Crackdown is on the outside looking in for the 6 1/2-furlong dash, which will go as race 6.

Alliford Bay is coming off a solid effort going six furlongs in the $54,650 Camilla Urso at Golden Gate Fields on March 17. The 4-year-old daughter of Uncle Mo was making her first start of the year, and despite getting hung out on the turn, she finished a close third.

Alliford Bay used her good speed to win the $50,000 Seattle Stakes in her second start as a 3-year-old at Emerald Downs, and she showed that she doesn’t need the lead when she came from a stalking position to win the $60,100 Governor’s Cup at Sacramento.

“She’s doing great,” said Wright. “She’s fast, but she can rate, and it all depends how she handles the track up there.”

Alliford Bay drew the outside post, and Alberta’s dominant rider, Rico Walcott, likely will let her stalk what figures to be a fast and contested pace.

Speed will be provided by the lightly raced 4-year-old Jakobs Rocket Girl, who will break from the rail with Aaron Gryder aboard. In her last start, she won a first-level allowance with a $16,000 claiming option at Tampa Bay Downs on Dec. 23. She will be making her first start for trainer Craig MacPherson.

The multiple stakes winner C U At Eau Claire has just one way of going and likely will gun it after breaking from post 3 with David Lopez riding. She is trained by Greg Tracy.

Swift Thoroughbreds Inaugural

If you can’t beat them, you may as well buy them, and that is exactly what Redekop did after Quick and Silver won a second-level allowance with a $62,500 claiming option at Golden Gate on March 11. Redekop’s Awhitesportscoat finished third in the six-furlong dash for 3-year-olds and up.

Quick and Silver, a 7-year-old Florida-bred gelding, has won 15 races from 41 starts, but just one of his wins came on dirt, at Pleasanton in 2016.

“He’s also doing well, and he’s the soundest 7-year-old I’ve ever had,” said Wright.

Quick and Silver has speed and should get right into the race after breaking from post 3 under Walcott.

Breaking from the rail is the classy 8-year-old Modern, who can be tough to get past if he gets his head in front early. He was the top older horse at Hastings last year, with three stakes wins. Trained by Dino Condilenios and owned by Swift Thoroughbreds Inc., he won the Inaugural in 2016 and finished third last year.

Trooper John will be making his first start since he finished second by a nose to Chief Know It All in the Grade 3 British Columbia Derby for trainer Tim Rycroft. He spent the winter in Florida with MacPherson, who also has been overseeing Trooper John’s training at Hastings this spring. Rycroft will be the trainer of record Sunday.

“I didn’t have him last year, so I don’t know that much about him,” said MacPherson. “He’s really impressed me, and I think he’ll run a big race.”

With a 6-4-1 record from 11 starts, he usually does.