Cup Day Previews
Eight fiendishly difficult contests to unravel, along with biggest crowd of the year, make Hastings the place to be on Saturday for the annual Cup Day. Don't forget your sunscreen!
MINI MARKET put in some good work late when best of the chasers behind Wirly Girly last time and, dropping a rung on the class ladder, should be closer to the action today. HARTLEY MANOR also drops a rung after fading in the same race as Mini Market, although she did get hooked into a front-end duel that day and will be a bigger threat if avoiding the same scenario. NOTHINGBUTSUNSHINE had FLYING MISS behind when second to Perfect Penny last month and is certainly in the mix.
ASKMENOQUESTIONS is in cracking form at the moment and steps up to the long course for the first time since winning at this level last October. Normally a frontrunner, he will probably have to do his own donkey work but, with little early pace among his rivals, may have things his own way. MY COLLEGE FUND takes another small step down in class following several solid efforts already this season and shouldn’t be too far away, while a repeat of READY HERO’s recent second to Tex Hanley last time (with PADDY D'ORO behind in third) would give him every chance.
SILK STILETTOS drops back to sprinting after fading behind Queen of Attitude in a marginally tougher contest back in June. The light class relief and the distance should put her at the heart of affairs today and she looks the one to beat. ANOTHERSUNNYDAY has been knocking on the door all season and, despite an imperfect start, did well to finish second to CC Sunrise last time. She’s another for the shortlist. RICHARDS COMMAND has endured some rotten racing luck lately but has still managed to hit the board in three of her five outings this term. She remains a big danger with a clear run.
ARTISTIC JEWLER excels at this distance and should also benefit from a little class relief. She was beaten less than two lengths by Queen of Attitude after staying on well from a four-wide challenge last time and a repeat of that might be enough to prevail here. They got first run on ICE BREAKER last time after her rider was forced to check slightly in traffic at a key part of the race. She did well to be second in the circumstances and is definitely one for the shortlist. DON’TPASSTHEPEPPER drops back onto the bottom rung for the first time since winning back in May. She was a rallying fourth to Queen of Attitude over today’s distance last month (with Artistic Jewler third) and has solid place claims again.
SELF SERVING did extremely well to finish third behind Baby Grand and today’s rival COUNTRY COWBOY after being forced to check noticeably just as things were hotting up in a similar contest earlier this month. The barn remains in electric form and he looks like the one to beat. GOOD BYE PUTIN makes his first appearance for new connections since being claimed and will be hoping to repeat the performance that saw him finish a neck second in a similar contest the last time he ran over the 6½ furlongs back in May.
BABY GRAND shot to the front like a scalded cat when winning gate-to-wire earlier this month and should be a major factor again if he can repeat the dose over today’s nine-furlong course; a distance he’s won over before. TEX HANLEY has adapted well to the East Van oval after arriving from California over the spring and got off the mark with a clever frontrunning display last time. He shouldn’t be inconvenienced by the additional yardage here and has to go on the shortlist. However, ERLICH rules the roost around these parts when it comes to extended distances and, although this is his first start of the season, he represents the high-water mark the others will need to pass to win this.
STAR ENTRY came with a rattling late run to swamp today’s rivals BACK SHACK, CEREBRO and Tiz Vicious when they last clashed in June and will be a major threat again today as long as there’s enough pace ahead of him. TIZ VICIOUS ran more of a stalking race than usual for him when a staying-on fourth that day and is better judged on his previous start when winning by a neck after being close to the pace throughout. BROKE AN BROKEN goes sprinting again after running perfectly well behind Buttonwood Tree and subsequent winner Neighbor over 8½ furlongs last time and is definitely in the mix.
EXTRA INNINGS dwelt at the start last time, losing several lengths in the process, and is better judged on his rallying third behind Bak to Liberty and subsequent winner Groovin’ is Bak on his previous start. That was tougher company than he faces here and, although the distance will be a voyage of discovery, he should be a different proposition today. BETTER TONE finished ahead of Extra Innings on his seasonal reappearance and, making just his second start of the year, is a proven winner at the distance. Look to see him arriving fairly late on the scene. ACCORDINGLY made up a lot of ground to put himself in contention last time and, even after his effort flattened out, still plugged on into third. He should relish the step up in distance and a repeat of the last time he took on the 8½ furlong course, when second to Cab Sav in far deeper company than this, would be enough to get the Cup Day ‘After Party’ started with a bang.
Lisa & Mike’s Cup Day Selections
Statistics
“Don’t Mistake Luck for Genius”
When Russ and Lois Bennett were inducted into the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame in the summer of 2007 at the posh Mississauga Convention Centre, they were introduced as ‘the Royal Couple of British Columbia’s racing industry’. It was the ultimate compliment.
The Bennett’s fortress was their Flying Horse Farm in Westbank on the shores of Okanagan Lake where they dominated the leading breeders’ list in BC dating back to 1982.
Known to his multitude of friends and colleagues as simply “RJ”, Mr. Bennett passed away peacefully July 4, 2024 at the age of 94 with Lois, his wife of 63 years, at his side. A Celebration of Life will be held on Sunday, July 28, 2024 at 1:00 pm at the Springfield Funeral Home in Kelowna.
“RJ’s contribution to racing and breeding throughout our province is unlikely to be equalled, either in longevity or impact,” said HBPA BC president David Milburn. “We express our condolences to his remarkable wife, Lois, his family and to all his many friends who knew him not just as an owner and breeder, but as an extraordinary man devoted to the horses that have served us all so well at Hastings and across Canada for many, many years.”
If there was one horse the Bennetts produced that gave them their greatest thrill it would probably be Travelling Victor. That was the colt they bred that made history in 1983 winning Horse of the Year honours in Canada as well as a Sovereign Award in the Older Horse category. It was the same year RJ and Lois won a Sovereign Award as Breeders of the Year and in 2016 they received the E.P. Taylor Award of Merit.
Through the years they produced over 50 stakes winners. Mr. Bennett once took me aside in the winner’s circle and said: “Jamie Demetrick hauls our horses for us from Westbank and they all go to Barbara. She makes the decisions from there.”
That would be ‘Barbara’ as in Barbara Anderson Heads. leading trainer at Hastings in 2021 and again in 2023. She was inducted into the BC Horse Racing Hall of Fame in 2017.
Mr. Bennett no doubt had his exceptional thoroughbred racing family in mind when he came up with one of his favourite sayings: “Don’t mistake luck for genius.”
Breakfast with the Horses
Hi everyone! You're invited (and invite your friends and sponsors too) to watch the morning workouts at Hastings Racecourse on Saturday, July 27th from 8:30-10:30am. We'll be trackside (near the Winner's Circle) and you'll get to see the horses up close, while enjoying morning coffee & pastries. You also have a chance to win a $50 betting voucher and take home some other giveaways too! Hope to see you there...
Bloodhorse Daily Headlines — Friday, July 19
