Hastings Review — Part Four
A very Happy New Year to all our subscribers as we take a look back at the claimers nominated for end-of-season awards
Claiming contests make up the overwhelming majority of races at Hastings. Indeed, there would be no racing at all without those hard-knocking horses who return each year and become such favourites among the regular fans. More than just the daily bread and butter of the sport, they help, through familiarity and courage, to bond together the backstretch and racegoers.
Last season was no different. It was again a tough job to narrow down the nominees in what was another highly-competitive campaign for claimers at all levels and, in particular, the lower level brigade.
Lower Level Claimer of the Year (under $15,000)
LAUGH WITH ME, 2017, ch g by Bakken - Miss Me Not (Mass Market)
Owner: Willow Creek Farms
Trainer: Steve Henson
Breeder: Mr. & Mrs. E. M. Dittloff & K. Dittloff
PINEAPPLE TIDBITS, 2018, ch m by Shackleford - View Halloo (Halory Hunter)
Owner: Donald Musgrove and Stewart Spencer
Trainer: Keith Pedersen
Breeder: Demetrick Racing
PRETTY ARIA, 2018, b m by Kantharos - Pretty Jenny (Pioneering)
Owner: Ironside Stables Ltd
Trainer: Robert VanOverschot
Breeder: Tod Mtn. Thoroughbreds
The three lower level nominees, who all demonstrated remarkable consistency, won 12 races between them in 2022, and proved stalwarts for their respective barns.
Bred in BC by the Dittloff family, LAUGH WITH ME was typical of the tough claimers we have come to love at Hastings. The Bakken gelding was brilliantly handled by trainer Steve Henson, who had him straight enough to win over 6 furlongs first-time-out back in May and then, remarkably, tightened the five-year-old’s girth on closing weekend prior to landing the 12-furlong leg of the Marathon Series. There were two more wins in between, as well as four third-place finishes. He failed to hit the board just once in nine efforts in 2022 and has collected seven wins in a 22-start career that has seen him finish in the first three in 18 of his races.
PINEAPPLE TIDBITS, bred in BC by Jamie Demetrick, won no fewer than five times between May and October. Like Laugh with Me, the mare also proved frighteningly consistent, failing to hit the board just once (when fourth on her season debut) in ten efforts and was a credit to trainer Keith Pedersen, who lost the game chestnut at the claims box back in July before retrieving her the same way in September.
It took a while for Ironside Stables’ PRETTY ARIA to hit her stride, but she rattled off a sizzling hat-trick of claiming wins in midsummer for trainer Rob VanOverschot, beating some quality opposition in the process and landing the spoils when running for $10k, $12.5k and $20k claiming tags respectively. Bred in BC by Tod Mountain Thoroughbreds, Pretty Aria was another highly-consistent performer, finishing outside the first two home just once all season.
Upper Level Claimer of the Year (over $15,000)
BOLD ARCH, 2017, dk b g by Archarcharch - Daylight Cat (Discreet Cat)
Owner: John and Kim Morrison and Robin Sadler
Trainer: John D. Morrison
Breeder: J. Barry Doud
FLORIDA GATOR, 2019, ch g by Lea - Hardcore Candy (Yonaguska)
Owner: Larry Potozny, Peter Langelaan and Wil – A - Way Farm
Trainer: Barbara Heads
Breeder: John Ropes
FORT LANGLEY, 2016, dk b g by Majestic Warrior - Caged Mistress (Ministers Wild Cat)
Owner: Joe Russo and Gloria Russo
Trainer: Patty Leaney
Breeder: Glen Todd
REA MEA, 2018, ch m by Lent - Strangelove (Tiznow)
Owner: Christine Ammann
Trainer: Edgar Mendoza
Breeder: Christine Elena Ammann
A CTHS Sales Stakes winner in 2021, BOLD ARCH proved a formidable opponent again last season. Reappearing for a $50k tag in May, the speedster took some classy scalps, romping to a five-length win over At Attention and Explode. The John Morrison-trained gelding, who was bred in BC by Barry Doud, lost his way a little when sent over the longer eight-and-a-half furlong course. However, returned to sprinting by connections, he soon rediscovered his mojo, winning a $30k optional claimer in September before closing out another fine campaign with an Allowance victory over fellow sprinters Cascade Billy and Be Quick.
Larry Potozny, Peter Langelaan and Wil–A-Way Farm’s FLORIDA GATOR began his year back east, running at Parx, Aqueduct and Keeneland respectively, and didn’t make his Hastings debut until July. However, the tough chestnut quickly made up for lost time under the guidance of trainer Barbara Heads, winning a $16k claimer over a mile-and-sixteenth on his course debut, before finishing second in an Allowance heat later the same month. The Florida-bred gelding then rattled off an impressive hat-trick of claiming events, winning twice over
8½ furlongs when running for $25k and, finally, over 6½-furlongs when closing out his campaign with a comfortable victory over Better Tone.
Joe and Gloria Russo claimed FORT LANGLEY for the Patty Leaney barn for $6,250 back in September 2021 and he’s been something of a revelation for new connections this season, stepping up significantly in class and winning three times – once for a $16k tag and twice more at $25k. Leaney took the Glen Todd-bred stalwart with her to Turf Paradise after Hastings had come to a close and he’s already hit the board twice.
Leading trainer Edgar Mendoza may have had bigger names in his barn last season, but few will have shown the quiet and consistent determination of Christine Ammann’s homebred, REA MEA. The daughter of Lent won her first start back in May and then ran every month until October, winning three more times, as well as running fourth behind Solarity in the Emerald Downs Stakes in June. Rea Mea held her form brilliantly throughout the year, winning a $16k optional claimer on her final appearance in October.
2022 Media Eclipse Awards
The National Thoroughbred Racing Association, Daily Racing Form, and the National Turf Writers and Broadcasters today announced the winners of the 2022 Media Eclipse Awards in six categories.
Writing – Feature/Commentary – Tim Layden – “Beneath the Super Bowl’s Turf: The Ghosts of Hollywood Park,” NBCSports.com, Feb. 8, 2022.
Writing- News Enterprise – Tom Law – “Big Tally,” Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred, July 1, 2022
Audio/Multimedia – Horse Racing Radio Network (HRRN) – Breeders’ Cup World Championships, Nov. 5, 2022
Mike Penna, HRRN President
Live Television Programming – NBC Sports Breeders’ Cup World Championships Nov. 4-5, 2022
Lindsay Schanzer, NBC Sports Producer of Horse Racing
Feature Television Programming – NBC Sports – “Cody’s Wish” Nov. 5, 2022
Jack Felling, Coordinating Producer
Photography – Wendy Wooley – “Elbow Room Please,” The Paulick Report, Oct. 1, 2022.
Media Eclipse Award winners will be presented their trophies at the 52nd Annual Eclipse Awards Ceremony and Dinner at The Breakers Palm Beach in Florida on Thursday, Jan. 26.
Pegasus World Cup Invites
Gold Square LLC’s Cyberknife, Karl Watson, Michael Pegram and Paul Weitman’s Defunded and Godolphin LLC’s Proxy top the first invitational list for the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) presented by Baccarat at Gulfstream Park.
Click on picture for full report…
BC’s Own Bob Meeking Passes aged 94
Robert A. Meeking was born June 6, 1928, in Victoria, BC, and saddled his first starter in 1946 at Lansdowne Park in suburban Vancouver. Meeking trained for a remarkable 75 years, earning a reputation as a patient, high-percentage horseman, while conditioning top-flight runners such as Longacres Derby winners Mincemeat (1970) and Salad Sam (1976), as well as multiple stakes winner Bucksaw - those latter two both owned in partnership by BC TOBA president and successful BC owner/breeders, Ole Nielsen.
R. A. BOB MEEKING 1928-2022
AUBURN, Wash. (Dec. 31) – Bob Meeking, a trainer for over seven decades and one of the state’s most popular and respected horsemen, passed away last week at age 94.
Meeking, who owned the 60-acre Allaire Farms in Poulsbo with his wife Barbara, had been in poor health the last few years. After missing 2021 while dealing with treatment for colon cancer, Meeking returned to Emerald Downs in 2022 with a nine-horse stable, scoring victories with runners like Wheel Rally and Emerald Sea, and finishing 10th in the $150,000 Longacres Mile with Kingmeister for longtime clients Fred and Cindy Desimone.
“I always enjoy being at the track,” Meeking said before the 2022 season. “I’ve been in this industry over many years and seen a lot of changes, but horse racing is a wonderful sport and I hope it’s around for a long time.”
Robert A. Meeking was born June 6, 1928, in Victoria, BC, and saddled his first starter in 1946 at Lansdowne Park in suburban Vancouver. Meeking trained for a remarkable 75 years, earning a reputation as a patient, high-percentage horseman while conditioning top-flight runners like Longacres Derby winners Mincemeat (1970) and Salad Sam (1976) and multiple stakes winner Bucksaw.
“I think my biggest thrill was my first winner at Santa Anita although a close second was (Mincemeat) winning two Derbies,” Meeking told Daily Racing Form.
In 2018, Meeking participated in a unique contest at Emerald Downs when he saddled Trelawny to a runner-up finish in The Not in Any Rocking Chair Starter Allowance for 3-year-olds and up which have started for a claiming price of $3,500 or less in 2017-18 and whose trainer was born on or prior to June 6, 1928. Trainers of the four runners entered were 94-year-old Arturo Arboleda, 91-year-old H.R. Pat Mullens, 90-year-old Ira Rhodes, and Meeking who had celebrated his 90th the week prior to the race.
Meeking’s final victory was July 22 with Emerald Sea, a 4-year-old filly that rallied for a two-length victory in a $15,000 claiming race. At Emerald Downs, Meeking saddled 198 winners while clicking at nearly 16 percent.
Here is Bob’s filly Karis Makaw winning the 2005 King County Handicap.
