Friday Night Previews
Six highly-competitive contests promise much excitement on Friday evening and include the return to action of Hasting Racing Club's recent winner Finding Ways
Although this is a furlong longer than Hastings’ debutante DIPLOMATIC has run in her career to date, it doesn’t look like the deepest field of its class and she should be fit following a third-place finish at Emerald Downs earlier this month. STILETTOS ONLY passed SHESBOURBONONICE when eating up ground late behind Flying Miss last time. A similar effort today over half-a-furlong further should see her go close. E Z TONIGHT ran well for a long way before understandably weakening down the stretch on her racing debut, while MINI MARKET should also be a different proposition now she has a race under her belt.
HAVING missed the board just twice in ten Hastings starts over the past year, GOOD BYE PUTIN is the definition of consistent and excels over the mile-and-sixteenth course. He lost out by just a neck on his first run of the year and looks tailormade to add to his impressive tally. BUTTONWOOD TREE, who has his second Hastings start here following a winter campaign in California, should also appreciate the step up in distance after coming off the wrong end of a duel with Finding Ways over a zippy six furlongs. SOMTHING ELUSIVE takes a small step up in class following a solid win earlier this month, although he’s never won at this distance, while stablemate DYNAMITER landed three mile-and-sixteenth events in 2023, albeit at a marginally lower level.
THIS is an interesting assignment for the useful FINDING WAYS, who steps up a little in class after making merry on the front-end last time and giving the Hastings Racing Club plenty to cheer about. After being forced to check in traffic when making his move under Amadeo Perez, BROKE AN BROKEN might be considered a tad unfortunate behind Finding Ways last time and is a major threat, while Woodbine import CEREBRO is going to be hard to stop if he can repeat his half-length second to the smart LUCKY FORCE on opening day. WICKED NIGHT, meanwhile, made every yard to win in similar company three weeks ago and he could easily follow up here. SHARPZAN hasn’t been seen since last July and is entitled to need the outing.
QUAGMIRE should be spot-on here after a good third-place finish two weeks ago. The veteran winner of eight races at this distance rarely runs a poor race and this looks well within his operating window. FORT LANGLEY dropped slowly through the ranks last season without winning, although this represents his best opportunity for some time. The Fort Langley of old would make fairly short work of these rivals, but it’s been two years since he’s won at this distance and this is his first run of the new season. JUST MAKE BELIEVE is another who may be seen to better effect when he steps up in distance, but he did close out last season with back-to-back victories and his trainer’s team has started the new campaign strongly.
KNOPFLER’s seemingly incurable case of seconditis, though in remission over the winter following his October victory, appears to have returned with a vengeance this season. He went down by less than a length in both his previous efforts this term and, traffic issues notwithstanding, should go close again today. His inability to get his head down first may frustrate bettors, but it has also earned him a place in the heart of many of the Hastings’ railbirds and there would be no more popular winner. Y VEE R was dropped in class for his final run of last season and held Knopfler at bay comfortably in a gate-to-wire win. He returns to the same level for new connections (after being claimed) and has been working well enough to suggest he can feature prominently here. Formerly a Grade 3 Canadian Derby winner, EXPLODE has dropped slowly through the divisions and makes his first start since finishing third at Century Mile last October at the same level he encounters here. Now an 8yo, his very best form is a distant memory. However, he’s not without talent and, on his day, would give his rivals plenty to think about.
IF the rules of Karma apply to racing (we have our doubts), BACK SHACK will gain compensation here for not being allowed a fair start last time. Even so, he still managed to get close enough to BAK TO LIBERTY to suggest the pair could decide where the prize goes tonight. There are other dangers, however, and, while it’s not easy to weigh up horses arriving from California, EXTRA INNINGS is clearly a threat. On ratings alone, he should have little problem competing at this level, has been working solidly all spring for trainer Rob Gilker and must go on the shortlist. Finally, ACCORDINGLY takes another half-step down in class and really didn’t run all that badly first-time out this season when unplaced behind Wicked Night and, even a little progress on that ‘sharpener’, puts him firmly in the mix.
Lisa & Mike’s Picks
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Saturday’s Overnight Entries
Bloodhorse Daily Headlines — Thursday, May 23
