Bold Arch can spring minor upset

VANCOUVER, British Columbia – Bold Arch took a big step forward when he won a maiden claimer that had a top claiming price of $32,000 in his third career start and second as a 3-year-old on July 28. If he continues to progress, he could pull off a mild upset in an allowance race for 3-year-olds that will serve as the featured event Thursday at Hastings. The 6 1/2-furlong dash for nonwinners of three races drew eight horses and goes as the sixth on an eight-race card that begins at 4:30 p.m. Pacific.

Trained by John Morrison, Bold Arch was running without blinkers for the first time when he won his last race by 2 1/2 lengths over next-out winners Toriador and Wicked Fortitude.

It was a visually impressive performance. With Efrain Hernandez riding, he broke a half-step slow in the 6 1/2-furlong race, but under urging from Hernandez he quickly got into the mix. Hernandez appeared to have a ton of horse under him when he sat just off Toriador going into the first turn, and when Hernandez gave the British Columbia-bred son of Archarcharch his cue heading into the second turn he immediately responded. The strong outing was validated when Toriador came back to win a 1 1/16-mile maiden special weight race by four lengths on Aug. 20.

Bold Arch will break from post 6 under Hernandez on Thursday. With plenty of potential speed in the field, he could get a nice trip from a stalking position.

Cascade Billy will appreciate the class relief and a cutback in distance following a last-place finish going three turns for the first time in the $50,000 Sir Winston Churchill Stakes on Aug. 13.

Trained by Mel Snow, Cascade Billy broke well enough from the rail, but after being eased off the pace he never really got involved in the 1 1/16-mile Churchill. He went into the Churchill off a runnerup finish going 6 1/2 furlongs in a conditioned allowance race for 3-year-olds and up on Aug. 2. He dueled through honest fractions with Porter Gent, who won the race and came back to finish second in the Churchill.

Considering his breeding, Cascade Billy figures to be a sprinter. The son of Bakken is out of the multiple stakes winner What R the Odds, who only won sprinting. His four siblings have won 20 sprints between them and are a combined 0 for 17 in routes.

Cascade Billy, who was bred in British Columbia by Snow and his wife, Fran, will break from post 2 with Silvino Morales riding.

Trainer Craig MacPherson is taking the blinkers off Baktura, who wore them for the first time when he finished a couple of lengths behind Cascade Billy on Aug. 2.

Last year, he finished first in the $100,000 Jack Diamond Futurity but was deemed unplaced by the stewards for causing interference to Bakken the U S S R, who ended up jumping over the rail going into the first turn.