Yukon Belle makes 3-year-old debut in B.C. Dogwood Stakes

VANCOUVER, British Columbia – A couple of stakes for 3-year-old British Columbia-breds share the spotlight on Sunday’s eight-race card at Hastings.

First up is the $50,000 B.C. Cup Dogwood, which drew five 3-year-old fillies and goes as the second race. The $50,000 B.C. Cup Stellar’s Jay drew seven horses, all geldings, and goes as race 4. Both are 6 1/2 furlongs.

Last year’s local 2-year-old filly champion, Yukon Belle, will be making her seasonal debut for trainer Barbara Heads in the Dogwood. In her final start as a juvenile, she was a lot more aggressive going 1 1/16 miles in the $75,000 Fantasy than she was in her first two sprints. She was also aggressive in a couple of her workouts this spring and appears primed for a strong effort off the bench.

“She knows what’s going on now,” Heads said. “She wants to be a racehorse. The best thing about her is that’s she’s versatile and you can do anything you want with her.”

Yukon Belle drew post 2 under usual rider Antonio Reyes.

Her owner, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, won’t be at Hastings on Sunday. Instead, the center for the Edmonton Oilers will be on the ice preparing to play the Anaheim Ducks in the third game of their second-round National Hockey League playoff series.

“Ryan was looking forward to seeing her run but obviously has other priorities,” Heads said. “He said he would catch the replay.”

Yukon Belle is the one to beat, but it is a wide-open race, and a case could be made for any horse in the field.

Sadie Diamond Futurity winner Spirit Bay has been working sharply for trainer Phil Hall, who won the $50,000 Swift Thoroughbreds Inaugural on opening day with Distinctiv Passion.

B.C. Debutante winner Something Better, trained by Greg Tracy, is the only horse in the field with a race this year.

The Nancy Betts-trained Daz Lin Dawn was good enough to beat the boys in an allowance sprint and was the runner-up to Yukon Belle in the Fantasy, her only stakes appearance.

The Stellar’s Jay also features a well-matched field.

Trainer Mel Snow is looking for a big effort from Driller, who closed out his 2-year-old season with a runner-up finish in the $75,000 Ascot Graduation.

Driller may have tipped his hand when he worked six furlongs in 1:11.80 over a track rated “good” April 21. The work is particularly impressive because Snow doesn’t usually turn his horses loose in the mornings.

“He is doing really well right now,” Snow said. “They are going to have to be running to beat him.”

Driller drew the outside post. Silvino Morales rides.

The only stakes winner in the field is Kermode, who picked the right time to run the best race of his career in the $100,000 Jack Diamond Futurity. With Amadeo Perez riding for trainer Pat Jarvis, he took advantage of a fast and contested pace to win the 6 1/2-furlong dash by 2 1/2 lengths over Strate Remark. This will be his first start since he finished fourth to Strate Remark in the Ascot Graduation.

Richard Hamel rides Kermode.

Blur’sfinalcommand is coming back quickly after finishing second to the heavily favored Fall At Last in an open allowance race last Sunday. Trained by Betts, Blur’sfinalcommand has good speed and should be in the mix early.

Trainer Dino Condilenios will be represented by Salzburg, who drew the rail, and Igor in post 2. Igor, third in the Ascot Graduation, looks better than Salzburg, who won a $25,000 maiden-claiming race in his last start as a juvenile.