First Look at the Weekend
Another 14 competitive races slated for two days at Hastings, while the Longacres Mile features former local favourite Five Star General among the 12-strong field
Hastings Overnights, Saturday August 13
Hastings Overnights, Sunday August 14
Don’t Forget!
BUY A FUTURE CHAMPION!
A total of 72 yearlings, one 2-year-old and 4 broodmares have been catalogued for the 2022 CTHS Yearling and Mixed Sale to be held at Thunderbird Show Park on Thursday, September 8, at 3:00 p.m., along with the Yearling Preview to be held on Wednesday, September 7, also at 3:00 p.m.
The catalogue can be viewed online at www.cthsbc.org/sale-catalogue-2022. And there are copies available at the Hastings Race Office and the Century Mile Race Office.
There is an intriguing mix of yearlings by proven BC sires such as Bakken (8), Finality (4), Lent (9), Mass Market (1), Pop Artist (1), Second in Command (2), Storm Victory (1), Sungold (10) and Value Plus (2).
There are also yearlings by exciting young stallions Counterforce (9) and Ralis (7). There are entries by Kentucky Derby-winning stallions Always Dreaming and I’ll Have Another, as well as yearlings by well-regarded Kentucky stallions Cairo Prince, Connect, Creative Cause, Dialed In, English Channel, Honor Code, Mo Town, Palace Malice, Outwork, Practical Joke, Ontario stallion Reload and California stallion Smiling Tiger.
Consigned are full and half siblings to stakes winners BRECHIN’S COMMAND, AT ATTENTION, CALL IT A WRAP, DANCING SHOES and NOTICE. BC Horse of the Year and champion 3-year-old filly, DAZ LIN DAWN, is represented by her first foal, a filly by new stallion Counterforce who already has a stakes winner at Hastings. Champion 2-year-old filly and stakes producer, FINALITY’S CHARMER, has a filly by Lent in the sale. Stakes winner and stakes producer, FUCHSIA GOLD, has a full sister to champion 2-year-old, WISE MARKET. There’s a Counterforce half-brother to ASYOUBELIEVE, champion 2 year old colt in Alberta; a Numaany filly out of Lemonade who is a half-sister to BC Horse of the Year SNUGGLES; a Numaany filly out of Champion OLE’S MISS; a Bakken colt out of champion QUATRE CAT; and a Value Plus colt out of stakes winner and stakes producer, REGAL RED.
Also included is a two-year old by Second in Command out of stakes-producer Yoorock Gal. And there are 4 broodmares, including MARCADO, who is a half-sister to BC Horse of the Year and Sovereign award winner, HERE’S HANNAH. She is in foal to Counterforce. Another broodmare from a stakes-producing BC family is Far Out by Outwork, a half-sister to four stakes winners including FINALITY’S CHARMER. She is in foal to Lent.
The majority of these yearlings are BC breds. BC bred yearlings purchased in the 2022 CTHS sale will have an additional 15% added to the BC-bred bonus of 35% to make it 50% for the sale graduate’s two-year-old and three-year-old racing seasons. There will also be a purchase incentive of $1,500 for BC-breds.
The upset price for this sale will be $3,000.
Recent BC-bred winners
A notable double for Demetrick Racing among the locally-bred performers this week, with two daughters from the Black Type mare View Halloo both doing the business. The 6yo MARYAM won a claiming contest at Century Mile on Friday and then, just 24 horse later, the wonderfully consistent PINEAPPLE TIDBITS obliged at Hastings. Congratulations to the Demetrick team and to all the connections of BC-bred winners this week.
CENTURY MILE:
Maryam, 6yo ch m by Fusaichi Pegasus - View Halloo (Halory Hunter)
Breeder: Demetrick Racing
Owner: Poitras Racing Stable
Trainer: Colleen O'Hagan
GRANDE PRAIRIE:
Devils Command, 5yo dk b/br g by Second in Command - Backseat Becka (Orchid's Devil)
Breeder: Mike Anderson & Terry Clyde
Owner: Jason Coney
Trainer: Jason Coney
CTHS Catalogue Update: Hip #18, a 1/2-sister by Ralis
HASTINGS:
Irish Luna, 5yo b m by Bakken - Irish Lyric (Stephanotis)
Breeder: Dairen Edwards & Tia Edwards
Owner: Willow Creek Farms
Trainer: Steve Henson
Laugh With Me, 5yo ch g by Bakken - Miss Me Not (Mass Market)
Breeder: Mr & Mrs E M Dittloff & K Dittloff
Owner: Willow Creek Farms
Trainer: Steve Henson
CTHS Catalogue Update: Hip #54, 1/2-sister by Finality
Monte, 3yo b g by Bakken – Montefiore (Rahy)
Breeder: Canyon Farms
Owner: Canyon Farms
Trainer: Craig MacPherson
Value Max, 3yo dk b/br g by Value Plus - Quillo's Intention (Regal Intention)
Breeder: Lindsay Racing Stable
Owner: Lindsay Racing Stable, Steen Reggelsen and Kathy Mydske
Trainer: Edgar Mendoza
Remarkable Girl, 3yo ch f by Mass Market - Remarkable Lady (Finality)
Breeder: Red Rock Farm
Owner: Shamrock Racing Stable Ltd
Trainer: Brian Phillips
CTHS Catalogue Update: Hip #69, 1/2-sister by Bakken
Finding Ways, 4yo b g by Harbor the Gold – Ouch (Gilded Time)
Breeder: Dino Condilenios and Sandra Loseth
Owner: Rob and Sheena Maybin
Trainer: Rob Maybin
CTHS Catalogue Update: Hip #63, 1/2-sister by Lent
Quality Command, 3yo b f by Second in Command – Faidra (Elusive Quality)
Breeder: Tod Mountain Thoroughbreds
Owner: Tod Mountain Thoroughbreds
Trainer: Edgar Mendoza
Pineapple Tidbits, 4yo ch f by Shackleford - View Halloo (Halory Hunter)
Breeder: Demetrick Racing
Owner: Robert Thacker
Trainer: Demetris Topouzis
Longacres Mile Preview
AUBURN, Wash. (August 10) – A full field of 12 older horses square off in Sunday’s 87th running of the $150,000 Longacres Mile at Emerald Downs.
Background drew the No. 4 post-position and was made a 2 to 1 morning line favorite in his bid to become the fifth two-time Mile winner, and just the second at Emerald Downs. Trained by Mike Puhich for Bob and Molly Rondeau of Normandy Park, the 5-year-old Florida-bred is 6-3-4 in 20 career starts with earnings of $430,488 including a 4-1-1 record in six starts at a mile.
“He’s had a bit of a gap between races, and he runs really well fresh,” Puhich said of Background. “Unfortunately, Rocco Bowen won’t be here to ride him, but Rocco breezed him last week and was really pleased with the work.
“If (Background’s) as good on Sunday as he is this morning, he’s going to be a tough customer.”
A three-time Emerald Downs’ riding champion, Bowen guided Background to an emotional come from behind victory in the 2021 Mile but was injured Monday at Presque Isle Downs and underwent surgery Wednesday for a broken clavicle and is sidelined indefinitely.
Geovanni Franco, who rode Background to victories at Oaklawn Park and Churchill Downs this spring, rides Background along with probable favorite Princess of Cairo in the $75,000 Emerald Distaff and Big Java in the $75,000 Washington Oaks.
Majestic Eagle, from the barn of Hall of Fame trainer Neil Drysdale, is 4 to 1 second choice on the morning line. A 7-year-old Medaglia d’Oro gelding, Majestic Eagle is an accomplished turf horse but unproven on dirt. Owned by Seattle locals Ray Morton and John Lindley, Majestic Eagle ships north after firing two bullet drills on Del Mar’s main track.
Trainer Blaine Wright has been in the thick of the Longacres Mile the last four years, compiling a win and three seconds since 2018, and saddles Top Executive, Huge Bigly, and Torpedo Away in this year’s race. The reigning Emerald Downs’ Horse of the Meeting, John and Janene Maryanski and Riverbend Stable’s Top Executive is 6-1-0 in 11 career starts including a sparkling 5-1-0 from eight starts at Emerald Downs with four stakes wins. A 4-year-old Street Boss gelding, Top Executive is one for one routing on dirt, capturing the 2021 Muckleshoot Derby at a mile and one-sixteenth.
Todd and Shawn Hansen’s Huge Bigly is one of six Washington-breds in this year’s Mile (Huge Bigly, Papa’s Golden Boy, Slew’s Tiz Whiz, Spittin Image, Torpedo, Away Unmachable). A 5-year-old by Midshipman out of the Emerald Downs’ stakes winning mare Gadget Queen, Hug Bigly earned over $140,000 in 2021 and showed versatility in winning on synthetic at Golden Gate, turf at Colonial Downs, and dirt at Churchill Downs.
Slew’s Tiz Whiz enters the Mile in peak form for trainer Tom Wenzel. The 4-year-old Slew’s Tiznow gelding has won consecutive sprints including a come from behind score in the Governor’s Stakes at 6 ½ furlongs. He won a one-mile allowance last year at age 3.
Lusk Racing’s Papa’s Golden Boy, the dominant sprinter at Emerald Downs the last two years, drew the No. 12 post-position and figures to be flying early under jockey Kevin Radke. The 6-year-old Harbor the Gold gelding held on well last year and was beaten just 2 ¼ lengths while finishing fourth to Background.
Elttaes Stable’s Five Star General has figured prominently the last two years, finishing second to Anothertwistafate in 2020 and third to background in 2021. His jockey, Leslie Mawing, and trainer, Doris Harwood, have both previously won the Mile.
Spittin Image hails from the barn of the meet’s leading owner, John Parker, and comes off a third in the Governor’s Stakes. Unamachable, a stakes winner here at ages 2 and 3, is two for two this year with both wins in Arizona.
Torpedo Away is winless in two tries around two turns, but the 6-year-old Jake La Gold gelding ran the meet’s fastest 6 ½ furlongs, 1:14.26, two weeks ago. Hard to Deny finished eighth in the 2021 Mile and is 3-1-1 in six starts at a flat mile. Kingmeister, a recent $50,000 claim at Churchill Downs, gives 94-year-old trainer Bob Meeking his first Mile starter since 1979.
Entries also were drawn Wednesday for the $75,000 Emerald Distaff, $75,000 Muckleshoot Derby, and $75,000 Washington Oaks. A special $0.50 Pick 4 will be offered on the four Championship Sunday stakes with ideal racing conditions—78 degrees and clear—forecast.
Bob Fraser, longtime Emerald Downs’ Vice President of Operations, is Honorary Steward for the 87th Longacres Mile.
$150,000 Longacres Mile
Sunday, August 14
1: Slew’s Tiz Whiz, Jose Zunino, 8/1
2: Top Executive, Evin Roman, 6/1
3: Majestic Eagle, Declan Cannon, 4/1
4: Background, Geovanni Franco, 2/1
5: Kingmeister, Javier Matias, 30/1
6: Huge Bigly, Eddie Martinez, 8/1
7: Unmachable, Kevin Orozco, 15/1
8: Hard to Deny, Jake Samuels, 30/1
9: Torpedo Away, Alex Cruz, 20/1
10: Five Star General, Leslie Mawing, 12/1
11: Spittin Image, Juan Gutierrez, 15/1
12: Papa’s Golden Boy, Kevin Radke, 10/1
