This weekend’s Ballerina Stakes (G3) will feature another big-race clash between the BC Oaks winner AMAZONIAN and runner-up, SUNBURST.

Not only does the mouth-watering match-up present another opportunity for the rampant Barb Heads barn to snag yet another major prize, but victory would also mark yet another Stakes win for Sunburst’s sire, SUNGOLD.

Based at R. J. and Lois Bennett’s Flying Horse farm near Kelowna, Sungold is enjoying a remarkable period, with some high-class runners representing the son of A. P. Indy on an almost weekly basis.

A Ballerina Stakes win for Sunburst would cap an extraordinary couple of weeks for trainer and stallion following, as it would, hot on the heels of last weekend at Hastings when two Sungold juveniles landed both the Jack and Sadie Diamond futurities for the blazing Barb Heads’ team.

A facile victory by the wonderful INFINITE PATIENCE in Saturday’s Sadie Diamond Stakes was followed up the following afternoon by a win for SYNERGY in the $100,000 Jack Diamond Stakes, giving their sire a high-profile double that lifted him into a prominent position on the list of Canada’s top sires.

Synergy may have been awarded the Jack Diamond in the stewards’ room, but it would be a mistake to undervalue a performance of real merit and promise by the Bennetts’ homebred, who is out of the FINALITY mare, PRINCESSES RULE.

Like Sunburst, who by the way beat Amazonian twice before they met again in the Oaks, Synergy does all his best work at the business end of proceedings and that seems to have been something of a theme with the Sungold winners this term – apart from Infinite Patience, that is, who is perfectly happy to bowl along while everything behind is frantically gasping for breath.

Like Synergy, Sunburst is also out of a Finality mare in the shape of the Bennetts’ homebred dual Stakes heroine, Tierra de Fuego, although Sungold seems to be having success with a fairly wide selection of broodmare sire-lines. Although, interestingly, the dams of Sunburst, Synergy and Infinite Patience all feature NORTHERN DANCER-line sires over prominent HAIL TO REASON-line on the bottom. Make of that what you will.

Congratulations to all the connections of BC-bred winners over the past week. There were a dozen, unless you know of any we may have missed, including another juvenile winner for freshman sire, LENT.

BC-BRED WINNERS:

September 21
Century Downs:
LORD OF THE NORTH, Chestnut Gelding, by Numaany out of Officer Mary, by Officer. Foaled Apr 14, 2016 in BC. Breeder: Shamrock Racing Stable LTD.

Emerald Downs:
DEPUTY'S COMMAND, Bay Gelding, by Second in Command out of Intimately, by Gentlemen (ARG). Foaled May 21, 2009 in BC. Breeder: Mr. & Mrs. Blaine H. Froats.

Hastings:
INFINITE PATIENCE, Bay Filly, by Sungold out of Montero, by Louis Quatorze. Foaled Apr 06, 2017 in BC. : William DeCoursey

HEREVERYWISH, Dark Bay or Brown Filly, by Finality out of Free Quarter Time, by Free At Last. Foaled Apr 01, 2016 in BC. Breeder: Red Rock Farm & Suzanne Anderson

DIXIE'S WILD CARD, Chestnut Gelding, by Texas Wildcatter out of Dixie Treasure, by Dixieland Brass. Foaled Apr 22, 2016 in BC. Breeder: Tommy Bloy & Greg McKinley

SLEW'S BAK, Dark Bay or Brown Gelding, by Bakken out of Slewpast, by Western Trick. Foaled Apr 22, 2017 in BC. Breeder: Foundation Racing Stable

LITTLE GROOT, Dark Bay or Brown Gelding, by Harbor the Gold out of Arlington Getaway, by Speightstown. Foaled Apr 29, 2016 in BC. Breeder: Peter Redekop BC Ltd.

September 22
Hastings:
SWEET SIXTEEN, Bay Filly, by Finality out of Badgetts Star , by Bold Badgett. Foaled Mar 16, 2015 in BC. Breeder: Mr. & Mrs. Roy Jacobson

ARRANGER, Gray or Roan Gelding, by Stephanotis out of Monashee, by Wolf Power (SAF). Foaled Apr 04, 2016 in BC. Breeder: Ole A. Nielsen

TORINO GRAND, Bay Gelding, by Lent out of Tender Teen, by Benchmark. Foaled May 25, 2017 in BC. Breeder: Helen Klimes.

SYNERGY, Chestnut Gelding, by Sungold out of Princesses Rule, by Finality. Foaled Mar 16, 2017 in BC. Breeder: Mr. & Mrs. R. J. Bennett

PLAYGIRL PIXIE, Bay Filly, by Finality out of Miss the Martinis, by Three Martinis. Foaled May 03, 2015 in BC. Breeder: Doris E. Durante.