A Premier Event
A Premier Event
B.C Derby first and second set to face-off again, but they'll also have plenty to handle from a classy group of older horses in the Premiers Handicap. It has all the makings of an unmissable afternoon
FINDING WAYS is undoubtedly one of the claimers of the season. He’s rattled off four wins, a second, third and fourth in seven starts and returns here to the same level at which he won last month. He’s the bar they’ll have to clear. Another highly-consistent performer, RACING RIVER was second to Finding Ways last time and had subsequent winner Quagmire and today’s rival STAR ENTRY behind him when winning his previous contest. He shouldn’t be too far away again. Star Entry returns to sprinting after a solid effort behind Stay Fantastic over 8½ furlongs last time and certainly needs to be on the shortlist.
SHOWMAN got as near as it’s possible to get to winning a maiden when losing out by just a nose to Divaany last time, with today’s rival DAPPER DON a half-length behind. Dapper Don had lost by just a neck the time before that and both should be thereabouts again. STANFORD NORTH has also been knocking on the door of a first win, although he has slowly dropped through the ranks this season and has been beaten twice when a short-priced favourite. BORROWED EQUITY has run just twice so far and may have a little more improvement to come. A repeat of his second to Self Serving back in June would put him firmly in the picture. Interestingly, rider Amadeo Perez plumps for debutant FLY BOY JACK from the powerful Barbara Heads barn. He’s a sibling to several multiple winners and wouldn’t need to be the reincarnation of Pegasus to go close here.
INFINITE PATIENCE returns to action and will be a warm order to land her fourth consecutive Stakes race of the season. The Queen of Hastings didn’t reappear this term until July, while all bar one of her rivals have been on the go since May. That alone should stand her in good stead in what looks to be a competitive renewal of the Ballerina – a race she won by almost 9 lengths last year. If there is to be an upset, it may come via ABOVE AVERAGE, who has not faced Infinite Patience before and who was impressive when dealing with Air Force in last month’s BC Oaks. Three-year-old fillies do well against older horses at this time of the year and she could be a threat if ‘Patience’ has an off day. WE B THREE has run solidly behind the favourite this year and ran up a hat-trick of wins earlier in the season. Hard to see her not making the frame.
Not for the first time, SET TO SHINE came unstuck when taking on the long course in September, trailing home behind Bold Arch and Just Jimmy. He should be a different proposition back over 6½ furlongs and a repeat of his close third to the same pair the time before would put him close to the winner’s circle. SMART LAD had Set to Shine behind when winning in June, but finished well behind that rival in two subsequent, and most recent, starts. FLORIDA GATOR returns to sprinting after several workmanlike efforts in Stakes company over 8½ furlongs. He last ran over this distance on his seasonal reappearance back in May. He won, with Smart Lad just behind.
Red-hot trainer Rob Maybin saddles two here and both are more than capable of landing the spoils on what will be their first outings since Maybin reclaimed them from the Edgar Mendoza barn following their most recent runs. OSTRACIZE was second to the improving Dynamiter over today’s distance last time, while MISS THE HYPE rewarded ‘show’ bettors in both her most recent starts and hasn’t missed the board in nine races. TOBESUNNY seemed to appreciate the step-up in distance last time, giving favourite backers few anxious moments when beating Star Finality. She also got within two lengths of Filly Fatale when the pair met over today’s trip in August. That’s solid form.
This promises to be one of the clashes of the season, as B.C. Derby winner ACCIDENTAL HERO and head-bob second SUNBIRD take on the older generation of Hastings’ Stakes-winning stalwarts. Sunbird didn’t run close to his best when fifth behind Abeliefinthislivin in the Canadian Derby in Alberta back in August (Accidental Hero was third), but beat his rival earlier that month when they met in the Sir Winston Churchill Derby Trial. The older brigade will be far from pushovers. ITSMYDAY had AT ATTENTION behind when running brilliantly to finish second to last season’s Canadian Derby winner Great Escape in the Speed to Spare Championship at Century Mile in August, form that puts him right in the mix again today. Not for the first time, At Attention endured a torrid time of it in Century Mile traffic but was much more like himself when going down by just a head to BIG UNION in last month’s S.W. Randall Plate (with PAY MY WAY in third). Big Union has been one of the stories of the year. Plucked from a $16,000 claimer by first-season trainer Nicole Rycroft, he then won next time at the same level for new connections before stepping up considerably in class to land the Lieutenant Governors' Handicap next time. The 11-furlongs could suit the son of Belmont Stakes winner Union Rags and he’s another not easily discounted in a wide-open renewal of this Grade 3 contest.
This looks like another good opportunity for LASTING LIGHT, who returns to the bottom rung of the class ladder after splitting Bellaroo and Richard’s Command last month in a marginally higher grade. Prior to that, she had ICE BREAKER behind when again chasing home Bellaroo and has hit the board in half her outings this season. CARLA’S HONOR arrived at Hastings from Woodbine only in July and enjoyed the perfect trip in behind a couple of Duelling frontrunners when landing her first Hastings victory. That looks as good as anything today’s rivals have achieved this term and it would be no surprise to see her follow up. FILLY FATALE has form that, if she could repeat, would make her hard to dislodge from the first three although two of her three wins this term have come at the 8½ furlong distance.
Saturday’s Picks
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New Stallion Latest
Thank you to everyone that responded to our Stallion Farm host request.
We are happy to report Jim and Sandra Loseth have stepped up and offered to stand the new stallion prospect once he is purchased. The stallion will be purchased through private funding and syndication once a prospect is found. No Thoroughbred Racing B.C. funds are involved. In the coming weeks we hope to purchase a retiring racer that will stand his first year at stud in 2024. We encourage anyone interested in joining the syndicate to contact Bruce Whitehouse on 250-540-6778 or via email: brucew5@telus.net.
International Test for Godolphin’s Pride
This year’s edition of the prestigious $750,000 Canadian International (G1T), set for this Sunday at Woodbine, has once again attracted a top-class field of turf talents from across the world.
Having returned after a year’s absence – the race was paused in 2022 due to travel complications prompted by the worldwide pandemic – the 84th edition of the International will see eight runners vie for top prize in the 1 ¼-mile race contested over the world-renowned E.P. Taylor Turf Course.
The stakes-laden day of racing, which also features the $750,000 E.P. Taylor (G1T), $250,000 Nearctic (G2T), and $200,000 Algonquin (five furlongs on the inner turf), will include a special tribute to the 50th anniversary of the legendary Secretariat’s iconic 1973 International triumph, highlighted by a “Big Red” exhibit presented by the National Museum of Racing & Hall of Fame, showcased at Woodbine from October 5-8.
The powerhouse trio of owner Godolphin, trainer Charlie Appleby and jockey William Buick return to Woodbine after teaming to win the Ricoh Woodbine Mile (G1T) with Master of The Seas (IRE), a Breeders’ Cup “Win and You’re In” event, on September 16.
In 2021, Godolphin and Appleby won the International when Walton Street (GB) waltzed to a 5 ¾-length score with Frankie Dettori in the irons.
This time, they will look to Godolphin homebred, multiple Grade/Group 1 winner NATIONS PRIDE (IRE), a globetrotting 4-year-old son of Teofilo (IRE)-Important Time (IRE), to carry their hopes.
After a runner-up result in his September 2021 debut at two, Nations Pride reeled off four straight subsequent victories.
The bay was then entered to run in the 2022 Belmont Derby after competing in the Group 1 Epsom Derby in June.
Nations Pride impressed in his first North American test, running second in the first leg of the Caesars Turf Triple series last July and built on that performance with a 1¾- length triumph in the $1 million Caesars Saratoga Derby (G1T) a month later.
After those efforts, he travelled to Keeneland where he finished fifth, 3¾ lengths behind stablemate Rebel’s Romance, in the Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1T) in November.
Nations Pride then spent the early part of 2023 in Meydan where he won the Dubai Millennium Stakes and finished third to Lord North in the Dubai Turf.
His return to Europe yielded a stirring score in the Grosser Dallmayr-Preis – Bayerisches Zuchtrennen (G1T) at Munich in late July.
“He beat a solid field of horses that day on ground which was softer than he would prefer,” said Appleby, of the three-length victory at 1¼ miles over “yielding’ ground.
The International will mark Nations Pride’s first race since the win in Germany.
“Visually, his win in the Jockey Club Derby at Aqueduct,” noted Appleby of Nations Pride’s most impressive victory. “We were stepping him back up to the mile and a half which was a slight concern, but he travelled so well and won with ease.”
Appleby believes his charge will appreciate running over the E.P. Taylor course.
“He should be suited to the fair track at Woodbine,” said Appleby. “He has shown huge versatility in both Europe, North America, and Dubai. He has a great constitution and is very relaxed which has no doubt contributed to him winning from a mile up to a mile and a half.”
GPEB Corruption Story Hits BC Media:
Former BC Gaming Policy Enforcement Branch (GPEB) employee Darren Scott Young, 47, pleaded guilty this week to knowingly inducing, aiding or abetting or attempting to induce, aid, abet or counsel several Hastings’ trainers to employ foreign nationals not authorized to work.
Here’s how the media is portaying the story:
“Crown seeks six-month jail term for Hastings racetrack corruption”
Darren Scott Young is a scapegoat for the racetrack and BC Gaming Policy Enforcement Branch problems preceding his arrival, lawyer says.
Vancouver’s Hastings Racecourse was a hotbed of corruption long before one provincial inspector got busted for 37 immigration fraud, bribery and bogus licence charges, a Vancouver Provincial Court judge heard Oct. 5.
Now, however, Darren Scott Young, 47, a former inspector with the BC Gaming Policy Enforcement Branch (GPEB), is before Judge Ellen Gordon after pleading guilty to knowingly inducing, aiding or abetting or attempting to induce, aid, abet or counsel Phillip Hall, Cindy Krasner, Barbara Anderson Heads, Mark Cloudier, Melvyn Snow, John Snow, Craig MacPherson and Patricia Jarvis to employ foreign nationals not authorized to work.
Court documents say the situations are an offence under the federal Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA).
Crown prosecutor Nicholas Elson asked Gordon to sentence Young to six months’ incarceration and 12 months’ probation while defence lawyer Tom Doust is seeking a conditional discharge.
From The Province:
A Big Saturday at Hastings Racecourse…
The two most important races at Hastings Racecourse for 3-year-olds and up take place Saturday, and the $100,000 Ballerina for fillies and mares and Grade 3, $100,000 Premier’s Handicap shape up completely different.
Randy Goulding • Special to Postmedia
The two most important races at Hastings Racecourse for 3-year-olds and up take place Saturday, and the $100,000 Ballerina for fillies and mares and Grade 3, $100,000 Premier’s Handicap shape up completely different. The question in the 1-1/8 miles Ballerina is: Who is going to finish second to Infinite Patience? After all, the Barbara Heads-trained daughter of Sungold was carrying 128 pounds when she easily handled We B Three, 121 pounds, in the Delta Colleen on Sept. 9, and Saturday they will carry equal weights.
There is no cinch in the 1-3/8 miles Premiers. At Attention, also trained by Heads, won the Premiers last year, but for some reason the race was shortened to a mile and an eighth. As have all of the eight horses entered Saturday, At Attention has not gone the traditional marathon distance of the Premiers. Bred by Bryan and Carol Anderson, the homebred son of Shanghai Bobby would go over the half-million dollar mark in earnings with a win. He would also wrap up his second straight title as the champion older horse in British Columbia. At Attention is coming off a narrow loss to Big Union in the S.W. Randall Plate on Sept. 9.
“The farther, the better for him,” said Heads. “They had recently added more surface to the track, and being a big horse he did not handle it well in the Randall. He has worked nicely over it since, though. As for Infinite Patience, there is not much to say. It is a race, so anything can happen.”