Friday Night Previews
With hot and humid weather forecast, Hastings will again be the perfect venue to enjoy summer in the city as the famous racetrack hosts six ultra-competitive races
JERSEY LILLIE drops a rung on the ladder after a bold second to Nine Oclock Ceaser last time and a repeat of that would see her go very close to landing this. She won a similar event back in May and is a mostly consistent performer. TEXAS LEGACY returns to the level at which she beat Ostracize in a gate-to-wire win after finishing behind Jersey Lillie last month. DRILL BABY DRILL has failed to hit the board just once all season and she put five lengths on the field when winning two weeks ago. She shouldn’t be too far away again this evening.
SELF SERVING’s only attempt at this distance came almost a year ago and saw him finish fourth. However, that was a classier affair than he encounters here and he was plugging away well enough that day to suggest he has a major chance at this level. The Condilenios barn is in excellent form at present and they have leading chance here with DIVAANY, who finished third to stablemate Better Tone last month on his first attempt at the long course. YOU DON’T OWN ME was a head to the good against SLEW’S DA BOSS when they met over 6½ furlongs last month and both are probably a little better when taking on the mile-and-sixteenth. There’s not much between the two, although You Don’t Own Me does have two wins at the 8½ furlongs already, while his rival has yet to score at the distance.
ACCORDINGLY finished second to Better Tone over today’s distance when they met last month, flattening-out late on what was only his second attempt at the mile-and-sixteenth. His first attempt came last year and he lost narrowly in a much tougher event than this appears on paper. A repeat of either performance will make him difficult to beat. RICK’S DANCER makes his first foray into ‘long course’ action after a game rallying second to Stanford North last time. He wasn’t stopping that day and may relish the additional real estate. DADDY’S PEPPER drew clear of his rivals at Century Mile when breaking his maiden over 7½ furlongs last October. He’s been off since his sole outing this term back in May, but should enjoy the distance and a repeat of anything near that win would make him a leading contender.
The oddity of BC-breds being allowed to run for larger claiming tags makes this a $6k - $8k claimer in name only, as the likes of Quatre Bak, When in Mexico and Brian’s de Leight all drop several rungs on the class ladder, leaving the likes of STANFORD NORTH, who steps up a rung on the back of a nice win last time, at a disadvantage. WHEN IN MEXICO drops back to sprinting for the first time since finishing third to Mr Morris and Pisco (with QUATRE BAK in fourth), in what was virtually an Allowance event, and a repeat of that would give him a leading chance. BRIAN’S DE LEIGHT has disappointed since winning on his season debut back in May, but he’s been butting heads with some tough rivals all year and looks to hold a major chance in this class. CHICKASAW was rallying fifth behind Cerebro in a tougher race than this last time on what was his first Hastings effort since arriving from California and shouldn’t be overlooked.
HOAX bounced back from a fading third-place finish behind today’s rival Class Code in June to beat the useful Lola M and Neighneigh over today’s distance last month. A repeat of that will make her a tough nut to crack as she goes for her fourth win of the season. CLASS CODE was impressive in the win, on what was her first effort at Hastings after arriving from California via Emerald Downs, but was doing all her best work at the end and might find this a little on the sharp side. Stablemate and fellow import TAMARA MINE showed an impressive turn of foot to win at Golden Gate in April and a repeat anywhere near that would give her a leading chance; although she did run poorly on her first Hastings’ attempt. SOLARITY, the third entrant from the Heads’ barn, has been in a season-long battle with DAPHNE but has finshed ahead of her rival in her two most recent runs. She’s a classy and consistent mare who has to go on the shortlist. This represents a voyage into the unknown for WIRLY GIRLY, who goes for her fourth consecutive win on what is her third step-up the class ladder in a row and, on paper at least, has it all to do.
BLUEBIRD CAFE could be the answer to a typically difficult finale, with any number of these perfectly capable of landing the spoils on any given day. Still relatively lightly-raced, she only made her racing debut back in May and may have a little more improvement to come than some of her rivals. She followed up on her maiden victory over subsequent winner BC Chu Chu with a fourth-place finish against much tougher opposition than she faces here and is clearly a major player. NOTHINGBUTSUNSHINE had MINI MARKET, who makes her first appearance for new connections since being claimed, just a head behind when the met last month and both have leading chances again tonight.
Lisa & Mike’s Friday Night Picks
Statistics
Saturday’s Overnights
Hastings Raiders Chasing Longacres Glory on Sunday
APPREHEND (above, Amadeo Perez) is one of two Hastings raiders heading south for the 89th running of the $150,000 Longacres Mile at Emerald Downs on Sunday. Peter Redekop’s five-year-old son of Arrogate, who missed all of last season but who was second in the Zia Park Derby the year before, joined the Barbara Heads barn over the spring and, most recently, landed a Hastings Allowance contest stylishly under Amadeo Perez. Apprehend will be joined in Seattle by WYN Racing Corp’s PHANTOM RIDE, who makes his first appearance West of the Rockies after being claimed out of a Churchill Downs contest for $62,500 in June. Meanwhile, former BC Derby winner FIVE STAR GENERAL, who was such a popular performer when part of the late Glen Todd’s North American Thoroughbred Corporation, looks to retain the title he won so dramatically last season. More on him below…
FIVE STAR GENERAL TOPS NOMINATIONS TO LONGACRES MILE
AUBURN, Wash. (Aug. 4, 2024) – Defending champion Five Star General and 2022 winner Slew’s Tiz Whiz headline a list of 21 older horses nominated to the 89th renewal of the $150,000 Longacres Mile on Sunday, Aug. 11.
The amazing Five Star General is set for his fifth straight Mile. He finished second in 2020, third in 2021 and 2022, and first in 2023 with a powerful 1½-length score in 1:34.73. Owned by Ken Alhadeff (Elttaes Stable) and trained by Grant Forster, the 8-year-old full horse by Distorted Humor has a niche for middle-distance races across the nation, entering the Mile with a career record of 12-6-9 in 38 starts with earnings of $819,702.
Incidentally, Forster is the fourth different Mile trainer for Five Star General. Glen Todd trained in 2020, Sandi Gann in 2021, and Doris Harwood in 2022. Forster, based in Kentucky, took over upon Harwood’s retirement at the end of the 2022 season.
With a victory, Five Star General would join a select group of two-time Mile winners: Stryker Phd (2014-15), Simply Majestic (1988-89), Trooper Seven (1980-81), Amble In (1946, 1948). He also would join Awesome Gem and Gigantic as the only 8-year-old winners.
Joe Bravo, who guided Five Star General to a front-running score in last year’s race, returns as the jockey in 2024.
Slew’s Tiz Whiz ranks among the most exciting horses in track history, using his explosive late burst to overhaul Papa’s Golden Boy to win the 2022 Mile and he took the overland route finishing third in 2023.
A 6-year-old Washington-bred owned by Slew’s Crew Racing, Slew’s Tiz Whiz is a two-time Washington Horse of the Year conditioned by two-time Mile-winner Tom Wenzel. Slew’s Tiz Whiz (22-9-4-3-$298,457) enters in peak form after dead-heating with Arma d’Oro in the July 21 Governor’s Stakes.
Trainer Blaine Wright holds a strong hand with 4-year-olds Clovisconnection and Prince Abu Dhabi. Both are stakes winners locally, Clovisconnection winning the 2023 Auburn Stakes and Irish Day Stakes and Prince Abu Dhabi taking the 2023 Muckleshoot Derby. Most recently, Clovisconnection captured the $66,000 Oak Tree Sprint at Pleasanton and Prince Abu Dhabi running third in the $150,000 Pleasanton Mile.
The speedy Papa’s Golden Boy, runner-up to Slew’s Tiz Whiz in 2022, and Il Bellator, second to Five Star General in 2023, are back for another go. Owned by Lusk Racing and trained by Vince Gibson, Papa’s Golden Boy has a good history around two turns including a second and fourth in the Mile and a victory over Slew’s Tiz Whiz in the 2022 Muckleshoot Tribal Classic. Owned by Ed and Theresa DeNike, Il Bellator’s resume includes a win in the 2022 California Derby at Golden Gate.
Justin Evans has four horses nominated to the Mile: Arma d’Oro, Giant Game, Neiman and Surprsinglyperfect. Fourth in the 2023 Mile, Arma d’Oro has come to hand in recent weeks, running the meet’s fastest mile in an eight-length victory, 1:34.03, and shortening to 6½ furlongs dead-heating with Slew’s Tiz Whiz.
Giant Game is a new acquisition for David Bernsen and Rockingham Ranch. The 5-year-old by Giant’s Causeway most recently finished seventh to The Chosen Vron in the Grade 1 Bing Crosby at Del Mar but enjoyed an excellent 2023 highlighted by a win in the Grade 3 Cornhusker Handicap at Prairie Meadows.
Neiman and Surprsinglyperfect have enjoyed tremendous seasons locally. A lightly raced 4-year-old by Munnings, Neiman scored at 18 to 1 in the June 23 Budweiser Stakes and held third to Arma d’Oro and Slew’s Tiz Whiz in the Governor’s. Surprsinglyperfect, a 10-year-old, is one of only two horse to win four races at the current meet.
Nugent-Hopkins Family Out in Full Force
To Witness Career Number 20 Win for Infinite Patience
The tarmac area, grandstands, private party patios and owners’ boxes began to fill up early for BC Cup Day on the August 5 holiday Monday at Hastings Racecourse.
Without a doubt, the most popular question on the minds of thoroughbred racing patrons was: “Do you think there’ll be a Ryan Nugent-Hopkins sighting today?”
Indeed, there was. The popular, polite and high-profile Edmonton Oilers’ forward was front and centre in the BC Cup Distaff winners’ circle following yet another impressive victory for Infinite Patience, the sensational seven-year-old mare now referred to as the ‘Queen of Hastings’.
Nugent-Hopkins co-owns Infinite Patience with local breeder Bill DeCoursey. It was career victory number 20 for the four-time winner of the BC Horse of the Year Award trained by Barbara Anderson-Heads.
Not only was the longest-serving player on the Oilers’ NHL roster on hand, he was joined by wife Breanne, baby daughter Lennon Ayla, Ryan’s brother and sister-in-law as well as his parents, Deb Nugent and Roger Hopkins. As always, the faithful DeCoursey clan was on hand, including Bill and wife Noi, their sons and grandson.
The Infinite Patience wire-to-wire finish in the Distaff under jockey Antonio Reyes was one of six $50,000 BC Cup stakes on one of the most exciting cards in recent memory that created a season’s best overall wagering handle of $1,061,584.
Other BC Cup stakes winners included Breezin Brianne in the Debutante, Mount Doom in the Nursery, Avana in the Hong Kong Jockey Club, Space in the Classic and Diocles in the Sir Winston Churchill Derby Trial.
Upcoming highlights on the local thoroughbred scene include the return of the Wiener Dog Races on Saturday, August 10, the CTHS-BC Stakes on August 26, CTHS-BC Yearling & Mixed Sale August 28 at Thunderbird Show Park and the annual highlight of the racing season, BC Derby Day Saturday, September 14.