Jack and Sadie Diamond Weekend
Racefans at Hastings on Saturday can watch the Preakness live on the big screen while, on Sunday, the track hosts the first Stakes contests of the new season
This year’s renewal of the $1.5 million Preakness Stakes may not feature the Kentucky Derby winner, but the race remains a fascinating contest in its own right. The nine-runner field includes Kentucky Oaks heroine SECRET OATH, as well as Derby runner-up, EPICENTER.
Overnights for Saturday and Sunday at Hastings
Saturday, May 21 2022
Sunday, May 22 2022
Horse of the Year Profiles
Our next Horse of the Year nominee profile is one of last season’s very best juveniles, Mount Asgard
MOUNT ASGARD, dk b gelding, 2019
by SKY MESA — A SONG FOR ARBONNE (ARCH)
Owner: Willow Creek Farms
Breeder: Black Canyon Thoroughbreds LTD
Trainer: Robert Henson (first two starts, Steve Henson)
You could almost see MOUNT ASGARD thinking through what was required of him on his racecourse debut last August. Once the penny dropped, the son of Sky Mesa got busy under Alex Marti, the pair coming out best in a three-way fight at the wire to break his maiden at the first attempt.
The win marked the then Steve Henson-trained youngster as a horse with a future and he proved the performance no aberration by landing the CTHS Sales Stakes on his very next run, vanquishing Just Jimmy for the second time.
A graduate of the CTHS Sales when knocked down to Willow Creek Farms for $18,000, Mount Asgard is by the immaculately bred Sky Mesa, out of a winning daughter of Arch. He’s bred to go a bit and that’s exactly what he’s shown so far.
Sent to Edmonton to contest the Alberta edition of  CTHS Sales Stakes, he took on fellow BC-bred and previous Stakes winner Asyoubelieve. Hooking up in an early duel, in what were awful conditions that he clearly didn’t relish, Mount Asgard did remarkably well to finish third, staying on resolutely to the wire and only just missing out for second.
Incidentally, Asyoubelieve made winning reappearance at Century Mile last weekend, overturning the odds-on favourite in the process.
Back in work and going well, Mount Asgard makes his reappearance in Sunday’s $50k Jack Diamond Maturity Stakes and it will be a fascinating to see how he has progressed over the winter as he looks to build on what was an impressive juvenile campaign.