We�ll be heading up North this weekend to British Colombia, Canada for the grand showdown that is called The Equinics. The card is jam-packed this weekend with Equinics from the beginning, to the end of the racing card. We will be taking a look at the BC Super Sprint (G1), going off as the sixth race on the card this weekend. The five and one half furlong race is open to fillies and mares, four years old up and up. Only coming around every two years, the Equinics are a big deal, as the $1,000,000 purse attests to, and the filly that emerges victorious in this race will no doubt be raved about. There will be some local showers in the area the days leading up to the BC Sprint, but all will be clear by this Saturday�s race. Let�s take a look at the fillies and mares that will be contending for the victory this weekend.

1. Ballad - (Elusive Quality x Saint Ballado x Mr. Prospector) - super29 of More Evil Than The Evil Empire! - Del Penn - F. Duffy - 7/1

The five-year-old daughter of Elusive Quality is a well-seasoned veteran of the turf track with a total of thirty-four lifetime starts. The chestnut Kentucky-bred is out of the broodmare Barely Throw. The mare made her most recent start in The Fire Shield Special, a listed stakes race over five furlongs. The chestnut mare was rated back in mid-pack at the start of the race, but was urged forward in the stretch to begin to make a late move. The mare moved forward quickly, but still only managed to finish second at the wire, while setting a speed figure of ninety-nine. The last victory for the mare was last December in The Power Of Pegasus II Special, another listed stakes race over six furlongs. A month prior the mare made her most recent graded stakes start in the six furlong Prancing Ferry Stakes (G2). The chestnut mare was held further off the pace in this race, and urged forward sooner, and wound up winning the race by a length and a quarter. We will probably see this mare rated back around the fifth sport out of the gate on Saturday, where she will most likely be sent forward to make her move just before the field comes into the stretch.

2. Free In Dubai (IRE) - (Sadler�s Wells x E Dubai x Storm Cat) - fab36 of Fabman Farms - NWRC - F. Gossett - 36/1

Out of the stakes-winning broodmare Buda In Dubai, the five year old mare will be making her graded stakes debut this weekend after having a total of thirty-four career starts. Her last start was last month during a four and a half furlong allowance race. Starting out towards the back of the pack out of the gate, the mare was urged forward in the stretch and quickly gained ground on the field. She crossed the wire to finish third with a speed figure of eighty-seven. Her latest victory was at the end of last year during another four and a half furlong allowance race, in which she won by three-fourths of a length. The mare is a pretty versatile runner, capable of running successfully either towards the rear of the field or up on the pace behind a few speed horses out of the gate. This versatility could play to her benefit this weekend.

3. Kornsnake (IRE) - (Sadler�s Wells x Mill Reef x Secretariat) - korn of Qwikvett Stables - URC - B. Renfroe - 5/1

Consistently running in either graded or listed stakes races for her last thirteen consecutive starts, the Irish-bred mare will be making her third start over the lawn this weekend, with her career primarily taking place over the main stage of the dirt track. Her most recent race was a two length win in the Mika Noronen Special, a listed stakes race over nine and a half furlongs on the dirt track. She won the long route distance in wire to wire fashion with an impressive speed figure of one hundred thirteen. Her two turf starts were both in listed stakes races, the most recent a fourth place finish in The Rider Kristen Memorial, and her other in the form of a third place finish in The Third Dimension. We will see how she takes to graded stakes races over the turf this weekend, but she has been successful in graded stakes races on the dirt. However, her most recent dirt graded start landed her an eighth place finish in The Barbacoa Handicap (G2). She should be out toward the front of the pack, wanting that lead right along with nearly everybody else this weekend,

4. Fit To Romp - (Cryptoclearance x Danzig x Verbatim) - desimster5 of Shamrock Stables - Blazing Saddles - M. Wallace - 19/1

Making a jump back into graded stakes racing this weekend, the chestnut mare is out of of multiple stakes-producing broodmare Robin Till Buoy. The five-year-old made her most recent start in a six furlong allowance race. Breaking out of the gate towards the rear of the field, the mare slowly made an advance on the rest of the field as they came down the stretch, but only managed to cross the wire in eleventh, securing a speed figure of eighty-two. Her last graded stakes start was in her previous race during the DPCD VIII Mumtaz Mahal Handicap, where a vast majority of the other fillies and mares in this weekends field has also made a start. Again, coming from the back of the field in the race, she made a move down the stretch, but managed to finish second at the wire this time, with a much better speed figure attributed to her accomplishment. The mare will most likely be setting off the pace again this weekend, and will probably not be urged forward until the later stages of the race.

5. Yishadra - (Storm Cat x Mr. Prospector x Nijinsky II) - ceclaim7 of Royal Belgian Kempen Farm - Benelux - U. Greenleaf - 21/1

The Kentucky-bred filly will be making her third graded stakes start this weekend in the BC Super Sprint (G1). The homebred four-year-old is lightly raced with just seventeen lifetime starts, though she was won eight times in her career. The filly is coming off of a five and a half furlong allowance race in Surrey, England. The filly broke out of the gate in second place, but lost some ground in the stretch, the brown filly eventually crossing the wire in third place with a speed figure of ninety-six. She last saw a win in The Derrflinger Challenge, a six furlong listed stakes race in South Africa. The only graded stakes start over the turf for the brown filly came early last year during the Neil Gwyn Stakes (G3) over seven furlongs. The filly again broke just behind a pacesetting horse, but quickly took over the lead. However, she was overtaken in the stretch to finish second with a career best speed figure of one hundred three. We can probably expect the filly to be up pretty close to the front of the pack this weekend, probably rated back no further than third if all goes well.

6. Crime Beat (IRE) - (Danehill Dancer (IRE) x Storm Cat x Sadler�s Wells) - lenny4 of The Empire - GR Simsters - W. McClendon - 9/2

Coming off an absolutely amazing five-race winning streak, the Irish-bred five-year-old will certainly be a force to be reckoned with if she is able to keep it up into this weekend. She too could break the million dollar mark in career earnings if she has a good run this weekend. The last start for the mare was in The Liberty Tree Challenge, a listed stakes race over seven furlongs. The mare came from far off the pace near the rear of the field in the race, beginning to build of steam as the field headed into the stretch. She breezed past the other fillies and mares in the race like they were standing still, winning the race by a length and a half with a speed figure of one hundred eleven. Three of the other races in her five-race winning streak were also in listed stakes races. The mare made her last graded stakes start early last year in The Coolmore (G2) over seven and a half furlongs, but only managed to finish seventh in the race, though she has finished on the board in prior graded stakes races. This mare is a very versatile runner, capable of running in nearly every position available to be taken, however, we will probably be most likely to see her far off the pace towards the rear of the field at the start in a nice closing position, biding her time for when the field goes into the stretch.

7. Native Mambo - (El Prado (IRE) x Kingmambo x Exclusive Native) - callracing of Worldwide - Hong Kong Racing Club - O. Osbourne - 9/1

Out of the successful broodmare Icy Mambo, this five-year-old roan mare is lightly raced with just twenty-seven career starts, but has career earnings of $1,803,706. The Kentucky-bred mare is coming off two consecutive wins in the DPCD VIII Mumtaz Mahal Handicap (G1) at five and a half furlongs, and an eight furlong allowance race. In both of these races the roan mare went straight out of the gate to the lead in both of these races and never looked back, winning them wire to wire. In fact, the mare is rarely out less than first out of the gate in her turf starts, securing herself as the quickest out of the gate nearly every time. We can probably expect more of the same this weekend during the BC Super Sprint, where this fantastic mare will certainly showcase her brilliant speed right from the start.

8. Dorchak�s Cat - (Storm Cat x Kingmambo x Seattle Slew) - ldstable of Fabman Farms - Minnesota Downs - J. Caves - 13/1

The six-year-old mare certainly brings a blue-blooded pedigree into the race this weekend. The chestnut is the daughter of the stakes-placed broodmare Dorchak�s Babe. The Kentucky-bred mare made her most recent start in a six and a half furlong allowance race. The chestnut mare broke first sharply out of the gate, but faded in the final furlongs of the stretch to come up just short in second with a speed figure of ninety-three. She�d received her last victory in October of last year in another six and a half furlong allowance race. That time the mare was able to pull off the wire to wire victory, clinching the win by one and three-fourth lengths. Again, we�ll have another very speedy competitor going up to the gate this weekend that is going to want near the lead out of the gate. We�ll see where she ends up with the mad dash that is sure to happen at the start.

9. Eaaaxmasgift (IRE) - (King Of Kings (IRE) x Seattle Slew x Kingmambo) - bevron of Crandy Stables - EAAA - R. Crandlemire - 11/1

At six years of age this Irish-bred mare is quickly approaching the million dollar mark in career earnings, which she will easily surpass if she does well this weekend in the BC Super Sprint (G1). The brown mare made her most recent start in the DPCD VIII Mumtaz Mahal Handicap (G1) over five and a half furlongs. The mare was held back in second out of the gate where she stayed for the majority of the race. She did begin to fade during the tail end of the race, crossing the wire one and three-fourth lengths back in third. She set a speed figure of one hundred for the race. Despite the consistency of the mare, nearly finishing on the board in all of her races, it has been nearly a year since she has won a race. Her last win came in the early part of last year during The Dana Cat Memorial, a listed stakes race over six and a half furlongs. The mare was impressive in this start, winning by two and a quarter lengths after going wire to wire in the race. This mare will almost always break right on the lead out of the gates, which could set up an early speed dual with the other speedsters in the race. However, this mare has been rated back in second behind the pacesetter a few times with good results.

10. King�s Halo (ARG) - (Southern Halo x Kingmambo x Kris S.) - mindblower of Snyder Stables - Vermont - H. McCoy - 11/1

Coming off of a two-race winning streak, the Argentinean-bred light gray mare has won an impressive fourteen times in her career, earning a total of $838,710 in career earnings. The most recent race for the five-year-old came during the Man On Fire Challenge, a listed stakes race over six furlongs. The mare led the way out of the gate and never looked back, taking the race in wire to wire fashion and winning by a quarter of a length with a speed figure of one hundred three. She won her prior start in a similar fashion, leaving the gate in second but taking over command of the race just before they came into the stretch in what was a six furlong allowance race. The most recent graded start for the mare was at the beginning of last year during the Liar Lair Stakes (G3). The mare broke third out of the gate but faded badly in the stretch and finished thirteenth. The mare is another speedy influence on the race this weekend, and she will likely head out of the gate wanting to be toward the front of the pack, likely no further back than fourth out of the gate.

11. Lucky�s Sluzy (ENG) - (Pivotal (GB) x Dynaformer x Sadler�s Wells) - marilyn847 of Mr Lucky�s - Ohio - L. Steele - 20/1

Another of the many fillies this weekend that will be making their first graded stakes start, the English-bred four-year-old has won four times in her career out of her twenty-six career starts. She tied a lifetime best speed figure of one hundred one in her most recent start, a seven furlong allowance race in which she came home to finish second after being rated back behind horses in fourth towards the rail. She last won a race last September during a six and a half furlong allowance race in Japan. She was sent out of the gate far off the pace at the start, but gradually started to pick off horses as the field neared the stretch. She went on to post her initial lifetime best speed figure of one hundred one in this race, which she won by half a length. The brown filly will probably be rated again towards the rear of the field in the BC Super Sprint (G1), though she has run on a more forward pace before.

12. Seattle Apples - (Royal Academy x Seattle Slew x Track Barron) - imatiger2 of Delta Tiger - Alpine Turf Club - B. Bauder - 15/1

Needing some improvement if she�s going to do better this coming weekend, this mare is out of the broodmare Seattle Cindy. Her last race landed her a twelfth place finish in a six and a half furlong allowance race. She broke out of the gate uncharacteristically towards the rear of the field, and didn�t improve much throughout the race. With the uncharacteristic race for the mare, she turned in a speed figure of ninety. She had won her previous start, a seven furlong allowance race held over the good turf after being rated mid-pack at the start of the race. She has made a few graded stakes starts. Her most recent one however was back in the latter part of 2008 when she finished in the money with a fifth place finish in the six furlong Peasants Forever Restricted (G1). The mare can be either set to run mid-pack or from a closing position at the rear of the field, both have worked out well for her in the past.

13. River Of Colac - (Gone West x Thunder Gulch x Riverman) - allshan of The Pride Of Colac - Comedy Central - D. Hogin - 28/1

With a total of fourteen lifetime starts, the Kentucky-bred filly is out of the stakes-placed broodmare River Of Thunder. Though not as well accomplished as some of the other fillies and mares in the race this weekend, the filly is one of the minority that have made a start in a graded stakes race prior to this weekend. Her last graded start came in The Range Rover Handicap (G3) at six and a half furlongs. After loosing some ground in the stretch, the filly came home to finish in fifth with a speed figure of ninety-nine, a lifetime best speed figure for the four-year-old. Her most recent win was last September during a six furlong allowance race in which the filly had taken the race by one and three-fourth lengths in wire to wire fashion. She will probably be up along with the leaders at the break of the race, and will probably be no further back than fifth position as long as things go her way.

14. Bichita Clasica - (Empire Maker x Mr. Prospector x Northern Dancer) - bichitos of Otto Haack - Sim Hispano - C. Shoemaker - 19/1

With a notable increase in speed figure in her last two starts, the four-year-old Kentucky-bred filly has been improving in her races, and may be ready to try stakes races, although there is some doubt as to wether she is ready for graded stakes competition. Nonetheless, the lightly raced filly with just twelve career starts, made her most recent start in a six furlong allowance race last month. The brown filly broke in the fifth position out of the gate and quickly went on to pick off other horses. Before the field reached the stretch the filly had taken command of the race and secured the lead. However, she was caught in the final furlongs of the stretch and finished second, one and a quarter length off the pace, with a speed figure of one hundred six, a lifetime best for the filly. Her most recent victory came in October during another allowance race, again over six furlongs. The filly took this race wire to wire to win by one and three-fourth lengths. Though she can run on the pace, the filly will most likely be placed in a mid-pack position at the start of the sprint this weekend.

15. Volkscay (NZ) - (Volksraad (GB) x Marscay (AUS) x Vice Regent) - nzedhorses of Hawkz Racing Stables - Queensland - P. Davis - 52/1

Making the first graded start of her racing career, the New Zeland-bred is lightly raced with just fifteen lifetime starts and $113,344 in career earnings. The four-year-old filly made her most recent start over a good turf track in Indonesia during a five furlong allowance race. After being set just behind the pace in second, the filly rallied in the final furlongs to win by three-fourths of a length. She set a speed figure of ninety-one for the race. The filly has made non-graded starts, the most recent of which is The Ghost Girl Memorial at five furlongs. She finished second in this race, unable to put it together in the final furlongs as she did in her allowance start, though she ran both of these races in similar style, tucked in behind in second. The filly will likely run similar here in the BC Super Sprint (G1) as well, likely set back in third or fourth out of the gate on Saturday.

16. Unbiased Opinion (IRE) - (Galileo (IRE) x Irish River (FR) x Kris S.) - dagrims of Spartan Racing Stables - Great Plains Residency - C. Huey - 24/1

With just sixteen lifetime starts, the five-year-old chestnut mare is very lightly raced, and will be making her first graded stakes start of her career this weekend. She is coming off of a quarter length win in a five and a half furlong allowance race which secured her a lifetime best speed figure of one hundred two. The chestnut mare went wire to wire in this race, ultimately winning by just a quarter of a length at the wire. The mare is one of the more speedier horses in the race this weekend, and she will likely be sent out towards the front of the pack on Saturday, dueling with the rest of the speed that will be in the race this weekend.

17. Time To Rate (IRE) - (Oratorio (IRE) x Rock Slide x Sadler�s Wells) - lordpye of The Big Oil Conglomerate - East-West Connection - S. Jones - 15/1

A later entry into the BC Super Sprint (G1) field, the Irish-bred filly has made a total of twenty-one lifetime starts. The four-year-old is out of the graded placed broodmare Pye Is Everywhere. She made her most recent start last year in the seven and a half furlong listed stakes race, The Mrs. Genter. After breaking mid-pack in the race, the filly faded in the stretch to finish sixth with a speed figure of one hundred. She last tasted victory towards the middle of last year during the Baylee�s Dreamer Stakes, over six furlongs, which she won by a length and a quarter in wire to wire fashion. She has made a few graded stakes starts, the most recent of which was the six furlong Prancing Ferry Stakes (G2), in which she finished ninth. She will probably want to break towards the lead this weekend, but she has been held off the pace mid-pack before in her career with some success, although to do well, this filly probably needs to be put more up front in the race.

18. Paul�s Boutique (AUS) - (Kempinsky x Zabeel (NZ) x Woodman) - crawf68 of Crawford Incorporated - Ireland - J. Harty - 39/1

Getting into the race with absolutely no stakes points, the homebred Australian mare has won five times in her career, bringing home career earnings of $440,410. Her most recent race was November of last year during a four and a half furlong allowance race. The brown mare broke first out of the gate but was caught by some late comers out of the back of the pack. She eventually would cross the wire in fourth with a speed figure of eighty-eight. We have to go back to 2008 to find the mares most recent victory. She commanded an impressive wire to wire finish, securing her win by two and a quarter lengths, in The Another Triptych Memorial, a listed stakes race over six furlongs. She has made a few graded appearances, the most recent of which came late last year during the Scuzzy South Stakes (G3) where she finished fifth after fading in the stretch. Again, she�s another speedster for Saturday, however with the great amount of speed that will be in the race this weekend, the connections of the mare may want to attempt to hold her back so she doesn�t fade down the stretch.

Flrancho�s Picks
Win: Crime Beat (IRE)
Place: Native Mambo
Show: Eaaaxmasgift (IRE)