Sunbird Looks to Take Flight in British Columbia Derby

Accidental Hero  and Sunbird —respectively third and fifth in the Canadian Derby (G3) Aug. 26 at Century Mile—lead a field of six in the 1 1/8-mile British Columbia Derby (G3) Sept. 16 at Hastings Racecourse.

Sunbird, a 3-year-old son of 2013 Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Orb , is favored in the CA$125,000 race at 6-5 on the morning line under jockey Antonio Ambrosio Reyes. The gelding lost for the first time in five starts in the Canadian Derby.

He is now back at Hastings, where he is 3-for-3 over the local surface for trainer Terry Jordan and owners Pauline Felicella and the Estate of Nick Felicella. Among his Hastings wins was a 1 3/4-length score in the Aug. 7 BC Cup Sir Winston Churchill Derby Trial Handicap.

Leading Challengers to SUNBIRD

• Accidental Hero, three times stakes-placed, was third, beaten 3 1/4 lengths in the Canadian Derby—with Sunbird 5 3/4 lengths further behind. A start earlier, Accidental Hero was third, 2 1/4 lengths in arrears of Sunbird in the BC Cup Sir Winston Churchill Derby Trial Handicap.
• Space , fourth in the BC Cup Sir Winston Churchill Derby Trial Handicap, won a 6 1/2-furlong maiden a race earlier at Hastings in his first start in Western Canada.

Saturday's card at Hastings also includes the CA$75,000 British Columbia Oaks, a 1 1/8-mile race led by Jamies Inheritance  and Air Force .