Hastings' Review — Part Three
Older horses are featured this week as we look back at the exploits of a magnificent brigade of talented equine athletes
Compliments of the Season to One and All!
“As we approach the Holiday Season, I’d like to take this opportunity to thank everyone involved in another successful racing year at Hastings.
Our show may not be the biggest, but it requires a huge cast and would not be possible without the hard work of so many dedicated women and men. Whether you’re a weekend hot-walker or an owner with multiple horses in training, your role is crucial and, without you, racing in BC would certainly struggle to survive.
The past two years have been as tough as anything we have faced together but, finally, there is real light at the end of the tunnel and much to be optimistic about moving forward.
On behalf of the directors of the HBPA BC, we wish everyone the compliments of the season and the very best of racing luck for 2023!"
David Milburn - President
HBPA of BC
Champion Older Horses — Fillies and Mares
INFINITE PATIENCE, 2017 b m by Sungold x Montero (Louis Quatorze)
Owner: William DeCoursey and R. N. H. Stable
Trainer: Barbara Heads
Breeder: William DeCoursey
There’s not much to say about INFINITE PATIENCE that hasn’t already been said. Simply put, she remains the Queen of Hastings. She won all bar the first of her five starts extremely comfortably, her opponents unable to land a blow no matter what they did to try and disrupt her focus.
An interrupted spring preparation saw Ryan Nugent-Hopkins’ and Bill DeCoursey’s superstar wait until July for her season debut, but she soon made up for lost time. Her gate-to-wire win over the hapless Solarity in the Monashee Stakes hinted at bigger days ahead, and so it proved, as racegoers were treated to awesome displays of dominance under the guidance of handler Barbara Heads and rider Antonio Reyes to take the BC Cup Distaff, the Northlands Distaff, the Delta Colleen and, as a perfect curtain call, a near nine-length stroll in October’s Ballerina Stakes.
At the time of writing, it is understood that connections intend to race on with Infinite Patience next season, which will be welcome to everyone - except, of course, those who have to take her on.
Bloodstock notes: Bred in BC by her part-owner William DeCoursey, INFINITE PATIENCE is a half-sister to multiple Stakes winner RAIDER (Stephanotis) and was a graduate of the 2018 CTHS Yearling and Mixed Sale (where she was led-out unsold).
SOLARITY, 2016 ch m by Mass Market x Sunny Soloro (Sungold)
Owner: Russell J. and Lois Bennett
Trainer: Barbara Heads
Breeder: Mr. & Mrs. R. J. Bennett
SOLARITY’s only real problem is that she is running at the same time in history as her extraordinary stablemate, Infinite Patience. Solarity ran into a minor placing behind her famous teammate five times last season and, in any normal year, would surely have been a multiple Stakes winner. In total, Russell and Lois Bennett’s homebred ran eight times in 2022. She won once (beating CHA CHING in the Emerald Downs Stakes) and hit the board on five other occasions. She was a credit to her connections throughout the year and underlined perfectly that, for every superstar to show their best, there must also be a strong supporting cast. At the time of writing, both Solarity and her arch nemesis are slated to return to action in 2023.
Bloodstock notes: bred in BC by RJ and Lois Bennett, Solarity is a half-sister to three-time winner and Stakes performer SET TO SHINE (Bakken) and a granddaughter of Hail to Maudie, dam of triple Hastings Stakes winner, TIERRA DEL FUEGO (Finality).
DAPHNE, 2018 b f by Gemologist x Langers (Indian Charlie)
Owner: Blue Willow Dairy, Ltd.
Trainer: David Forster
Breeder: Joyce Dermot
DAPHNE’s nomination comes courtesy of an excellent three-win campaign that was capped by a thoroughly professional front-running victory over We B Three in the CTHS Sales Stakes back in August. Prior to that, the Blue Willow Dairy-owned four-year-old, who was claimed from Swift Thoroughbreds the previous season for just $16,000 and is trained by Hastings stalwart Dave Forster, broke her maiden and immediately stepped up to take an allowance contest over Amanda and Alobrah on her next outing.
Bloodstock notes: pinhooked by the late Glen Todd’s North American Thoroughbred Horse Company at the Keenelend January mixed sale, DAPHNE was bought by Swift Thoroughbreds at the 2018 CTHS Yearling and Mixed Sale. She has two winning half-siblings, including the two-year-old PIONEER PARADE (Carpe Diem).
Champion Older Male
AT ATTENTION, 2017 dk b g by Shanghai Bobby x Unattended (Quality Road)
Owner: Dr. Bryan C. and Carol Anderson
Trainer: Barbara Heads
Breeder: Bryan Anderson & Carol Anderson
After hitting the board twice in seven 2021 starts, few would have predicted such a magnificent season for AT ATTENTION.
However, five wins and three second-place finishes for the five-year-old (all under the steerage of Antonio Reyes) demonstrated perfectly the benefit of allowing horses to mature and improve in their own time.
Always a tough and useful member of the supporting cast, At Attention developed into a star performer throughout the season and is a leading candidate for Horse of the Year honours.
Bryan and Carol Anderson’s homebred thrilled racegoers with a series of pugnacious efforts, more often than not doing all his best work at the business end of the contest. His wins in the Century Mile Handicap, the BC Premier’s Handicap and the Speed to Spare Championship Stakes were by a neck, a nose and a neck respectively, with all three highlighting perfectly his tenacity, desire and sheer bloody-mindedness.
Bloodstock notes: Dam UNATTENDED (Quality Road) was purchased at the 2017 Keeneland January sale while carrying AT ATTENTION.
PORTER GENT, 2017 b g by Second in Command x Faidra (Elusive Quality)
Owner: Tod Mountain Thoroughbreds
Trainer: Edgar Mendoza
Breeder: Tod Mtn. Thoroughbreds
PORTER GENT has missed the board just once in 19 career starts and, while he wasn’t quite as busy last year, he still managed four victories and two second-place finishes from six starts, including top-draw wins in the BC Cup Classic and the S W Randall Plate.
Owned and bred by Tod Mountain and trained by Edgar Mendoza, PORTER GENT made his seasonal reappearance back in May over six furlongs with a head win against the rapid speedster Cascade Billy. He then went down bravely by the same margin to former Canadian Derby winner Uncharacteristic in the George Royal Stakes, in what was one of the most exciting finishes of the year.
The margins were even narrower next time when losing out by just a nose to BE QUICK in the Lieutenant Governor’s Stakes in July. After that, there was no looking back for the attractive bay as he rattled off three wins in quick succession. He beat At Attention and Chase the Sun in the BC Cup Classic at the beginning of August, Synergy and Fort Langley in an Allowance contest a few weeks later and then dealt with At Attention once more in September’s S. W. Randall Plate.
Bloodstock notes: PORTER GENT is out of the prolific winner-producer FAIDRA (Elusive Quality) and is a full-brother to last season’s three-time winner, QUALITY COMMAND and a half-brother to the Stakes-placed performer, ALBERTA BREEZ (Gilded Time).
BE QUICK, 2018 b c by Bodemeister x Pronto Pronto (Fusaichi Pegasus)
Owner: White Hall Farms
Trainer: Edgar Mendoza
Breeder: Allied Racing Stable, LLC
Four sophomore wins from four starts for trainer Keith Pedersen saw BE QUICK take an unbeaten record into his four-year-old campaign, where he duly fluffed his lines for his new barn, finishing eighth in the George Royal Stakes on his season debut. However, any consternation was short-lived when the speedball got the better of Porter Gent in the Lieutenant Governor’s by a nose and followed up with a professional gate-to-wire victory in the CTHS Stakes in August. Owned by White Hall Farms, Be Quick returned to action three weeks later but ran below par in the S.W. Randall Stakes, before leaving that well behind on his final appearance of the season when third to BOLD ARCH and CASCADE BILLY in a $22,000 Allowance contest.
Bloodstock notes: Purchased out of the 2019 Fasig-Tipton October sale as part of the innovative Hole in the Wall Gang project established to boost horse numbers at Hastings, BE QUICK was subsequently a graduate of the CTHS Horses of Racing Age Sale.
UNCHARACTERISTIC, 2018 gr/ro g by Texas Wildcatter - My Kentucky Rose (Macho Uno)
Owner: Ironside Stables Ltd.
Trainer: Robert VanOverschot
Breeder: Glen Todd
The 2021 Canadian Derby hero returned to action in June and was immediately involved in one of the races of the season. Under an inspired ride by Alex Marti, the pair overcame traffic issues from the rear of the George Royal Stakes field and took full advantage of a torrid pace up front, arriving in the nick of time to beat Porter Gent by a head. Although UNCHARACTERISTIC didn’t win again after that thrilling performance, the tenacious grey son of Texas Wildcatter demonstrated admirable consistency in races not run to particularly suit his style. His next three outings were all at Century Mile, where he ran solidly in the Spangled Jimmy Handicap before finishing second to fellow Hastings regular, Departure, in a valuable Allowance contest. He then finished third behind At Attention in the $100,000 Century Mile Handicap before chasing home the same rival when a solid fifth in the BC Premier’s Handicap.
Bloodstock notes: Bred in Kentucky by the late Glen Todd, UNCHARACTERISTIC was claimed for $8,000 by his current connections back in September 2020 on just his second run. Out of the Arizona Oak third My Kentucky Rose (Mach Uno), Uncharacteristic is a half-brother to Hastings winner, WINE TASTER (Tapiture)
Best Wishes!
The thoughts of everyone connected with the HBPA BC are with our Vice President (Owners) Gary Johnson, who is currently unwell. Get well soon Gary. You’re presence is very much missed and we’re all rooting for you!
Santa Anita Opening Day
Santa Anita kicks off off a new season with its traditional Boxing Day meet. The stellar opening day includes three Grade 1 contests - the La Brea, the Runhappy Malibu and the American Oaks.
New Stride Thoroughbred Adoption Society
New Stride continues to do such great work on behalf of the racing industry in BC, helping to retrain retired racehorses and find secure and loving new homes. Please donate if you can, every dollar is crucial.
Happy Holidays to all our invaluable volunteers and to everyone who has donated to such a worthwhile cause.
Thank you!
