The 76th British Columbia Derby (G3) takes place Saturday at Hastings Racecourse in Vancouver and the 1 1/8 mile race on dirt for three-year-olds has a competitive field led by morning line favourite SUNBIRD.

The BC Derby concludes the Western Canadian Triple Crown which began with the Manitoba Derby, won by Mano Dura, and the Grade 3 Canadian Derby at Century Mile in Alberta, won by Abeliefinthislivin. The latter was expected to be a major player in the BC Derby but trainer Barbara Heads reported Peter Rdekop’s gelding came out of a recent workout with a sore foot.

Two sophomores who competed in the Canadian Derby are the two early favourites for the $125,000 race on Saturday, which is the eighth event on the card with a post time of 8:43 p.m. EST.

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