Solarity makes title defense

Solarity will attempt to successfully defend her crown in the $50,000 Emerald Downs, to be run over 6 1/2 furlongs on Saturday afternoon at Hastings.

As she did a year ago, Solarity will attempt to take full advantage of the absence of stablemate and division leader Infinite Patience. Trainer Barbara Heads said that Infinite Patience “got a viral infection that set her back more than a few weeks.”

While Infinite Patience has won 15 of 17 starts in Western Canada, Solarity remains the only runner to have finished in front of her stablemate twice in the West. Heads added that “Solarity is a lovely mare in spite of being in the shadows of her stablemate and is also training well.”

Heads also will send out Run Lola Run in the Emerald Downs. Heads said that Run Lola Run “had a tough go with the track last time but is an honest mare and always puts in a great effort.”

A field of eight is set to go postward with much of the early speed expected from Rea Mea, who was part of a contested pace in the Emerald Downs last year and was most recently on the lead in a May 14 prep race in which she finished third as the favorite.

Bayakoas Image, twice a stakes winner in Washington back in 2021, will be making her yearly debut in the Emerald Downs after disappointing as the even-money favorite in last year’s running. Bayakoas Image is 3 for 9 lifetime at Hastings.

Saturday’s co-feature will be the $50,000 George Royal, in honor of the 1965 Canadian Horse of the Year whose statue adorns the paddock at Hastings. The race will be run at | 6 1/2 furlongs with a field of six runners, three of which were also-rans in last year’s George Royal.

Most of those entered in the George Royal are blessed with a decent turn of early foot, and that may allow Cascade Billy to wait patiently rather than being drawn into the heat of battle too soon. His trainer, Mel Snow, said, “You can’t move too early with him like he did last time. I think it cost us the race.”

Cascade Billy was beaten by a head in his May 14 prep and Snow added, “It was a tough race, but he came out of it really nice and has been training well”.

The cleverly named Bakken Overdrive has indeed taken care of business in each of two prior starts at the stand and figures to be trying his luck on the early pace once again.

Set to Shine, another trained by Heads, “was having trouble breathing last year, so [he] was sent for surgery.” She added, “It was great seeing him run so well and as comfortable as he did” when winning at Hastings two weeks ago.

The weather is expected to be dry and mild for Saturday’s card. The George Royal will go as race 5 and the Emerald Downs as race 6.