Hastings Round-Up
Leading 2022 juvenile LEGACY SQUARE reappeared on the work tab on Friday morning, with the new season now just a little over four weeks away
Square Goes Around
Leading juvenile LEGACY SQUARE appeared for the first timed work session of his sophomore campaign on Friday morning. By Lent out of Swift Thoroughbred’s Champion juvenile filly, ARCHITECTURE (Dixie Chatter), Legacy Square was among a group from the Edgar Mendoza barn working three furlongs. The winner of last season’s Spaghetti Mouse, BC Cup Nursery and Jack Diamond Futurity Stakes should be a leading contender for top honours this year and it was great to see him back in action with the new season now just a little over four weeks away. You can see all the workers from Friday by clicking on the blue button.
Notice of a Newborn
Congratulations to the proud connections of NOTIS HER’s latest foal. The filly is by Bakken and a full-sister to three-time winner Home Run Guy and the unraced juvenile of last season, Home Run Girl. Notis Her was a six-time winner of more than $133,000, including the CTHS Sales Stakes, and is a granddaughter of Champion mare Home Run Gal — and so related to the likes of STRATE REMARK and REMARKABLE MISS, dam of champion CAPILANO CANYON.
Three to Follow
My turn to offer up three selections to follow for the coming season. I thought it might be interesting to pick a trio of relatively lightly-raced horses with interesting pedigrees. I’ve intentionally chosen horses that aren’t by BC-based stallions, but who nevertheless have strong local connections. The only other criteria was to select three horses who all won in 2020 and who have already appeared on the work tab this year - Nigel Reid.
CALYPSO PRINCESS (KY), 2020, b f by Lord Nelson - Go Biz (Fed Biz)
Owner: Dave Milburn, Mark Freeman, Donald Muldoon
Breeder: Jose Lopez
Trainer: Dave Milburn
CALYPSO PRINCESS was one of a group of yearlings purchased in Kentucky by Hastings’ racing management team as part of the “Hole in the Wall Gang” project to bring fresh horses out to BC. The imaginative scheme proved popular among local prospective owners and the filly, an imposing dark bay, drew plenty of attention at the subsequent CTHS Horses of Racing Age Sale. She was snaffled by trainer and HBPA President David Milburn and is now owned in partnership by Milburn, Hastings Racing Cub manager Mark Freeman and Don Muldoon. Calypso Princess ran just twice last season, making an impressive winning debut back in June over the sharp 3 1/2-furlongs under Scott Williams, before stepping up to to take on the CTHS Stakes next time. She was unable to repeat the front-running trick but was allowed to coast home once the ‘empty’ light started flashing. By the now deceased Pulpit stallion, LORD NELSON, Calypso Princess is the first foal out of the unraced Fed Biz mare, GO BIZ. Lord Nelson was a triple Grade 1 winner for Bob Baffert before retiring to Spendthrift Farm. He suffered from chronic laminitis, brought on by injury, and was eventually euthanized in 2021. Fed Biz, of course, relocated to Alberta two seasons ago and is the leading stallion currently standing in Canada. A ‘scopey’ sort, Calypso Princess always looked more of a three-year-old than a juvenile and she will be interesting to follow this year.
RIMFIRE (BC), 2019, b g by Violence - Excellent News (Rahy)
Owner: Dr Bryan and Carol Anderson
Breeder: Dr Bryan and Carol Anderson
Trainer: Barbara Heads
Although bred in BC, RIMFIRE (Violence) came to the Province inside his mum after she was bought in-foal by Bryan Anderson at the Keeneland November Sale in 2018. The purchase looked good value at the time and, given the success of Violence, has proved subsequently even more prescient with the current KY Derby favourite and Breeders’ Cup juvenile champion FORTE among his representatives. Rimfire’s sire has grown in reputation since retiring to stud and now stands at $50,000 (up from an original fee of $25k). A late May foal, Rimfire understandably didn’t run as a two-year-old, but made his debut last June when fifth behind the subsequently disqualified Bakken Overdrive. He reappeared less than a month later, this time overcoming a front-end duel with Jose Jose to win pushed out by Antonio Reyes in a manner that suggested there is more to come. Remarkable Angel, who was third that day, went on to finish fourth in the BC Cup Hong Kong Jockey Club Handicap, before then winning her two final starts of the season. Rimfire’s dam EXCELLENT NEWS (Rahy) was a multiple winner of more than $220k and her 2018 foal, named DR DUKE (Ghostzapper), is G3-placed winner of two races from 22 starts. Rimfire represents the Barbara Heads barn and it will be fascinating to see how he progresses this term.
STOPSHOPPINGSHELLEY (KY), 2020, b f by Trap Shot - Caged Mistress (Ministers Wildcat)
Owner: MJD Stables
Breeder: Glen Todd
Trainer: Demetris Topouzis
Although technically bred in Kentucky, STOPSHOPPINGSHELLEY (Trappe Shot) is stamped through with BC connections. Bred by the late Glen Todd and, presumably, named as a good-humoured plea to daughter Shelley, the sophomore filly is another graduate of last year’s CTHS Horses of Racing Age Sale, where she was knocked down to trainer Rob Maybin before joining the small barn of Demetris Topouzis and owners MJD Stables. Like the other two selections, Stopshoppingshelley ran just twice last season, winning her maiden on debut in July before immediately stepping up to Stakes class in the BC Cup Debutante Stakes. She ran creditably in what looked to be a competitive heat won by Loveaboveandbeyond that day and is another who seems likely to improve again this season. Stopshoppingshelley is by the Niarchos-bred Trappe Shot, who is also the sire of Ole Nielsen’s Canadian Derby hero Explode. Trappe Shot now stands in Turkey. Stopshoppingshelley’s dam, CAGED MISTRESS (Ministers Wildcat) is a familiar name to followers of racing in BC. Winner of the Oregon Oaks for Todd’s North American Thoroughbred Horse Company, she retired after landing the 2012 running of the Strawberry Morn Handicap at Hastings. Since then she has produced a couple of Hastings stalwarts in the shape of Fort Langley and former Hastings Racing Club performer, Hollywood Mistress. She is also the dam of this season’s dual Oaklawn Allowance winner CALL ME FAST (Dialed in), who was ninth in the recent Essex Handicap (a KY Derby prep race). Shrewdly, Caged Mistress was snapped up by Shelley Todd when she came up for sale at her dad’s dispersal sale last year.
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Kentucky Derby Preps
Another big weekend for horses with Kentucky Derby pretensions, with points aplenty up for grabs in the G1 Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park and the G1 Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn.
