Saturday's Previews
Saturday's Previews
Some of the best youngsters seen last season make their sophomore debuts on Saturday, including leading filly AIR FORCE and last year's champion male, LEGACY SQUARE
ARIKARA, who won three times last year, went down by just a neck on opening weekend and this represents a marginally easier opportunity for the mare to get back to winning ways. Stablemate WALKINTHEWALK rallied late to win last time but with only Arikara a confirmed front-end operator, it’s not clear where the pace will come from and that may be a disadvantage. BELLAROO hit the board in all nine of her starts last season, including a win first time up, and she should make her presence felt here.
JUST JIMMY’s late-season adventure to Woodbine didn’t go as planned last fall, but he’s back with in-form handler Craig MacPherson and the winner of two allowance contests in 2022 should find this more to his liking. HE’S RELENTLESS was a gutsy second to Big Union on opening weekend, with today’s rival BLACK METAL behind him in sixth. SET TO SHINE, who ran respectably in Stakes company several times last season, tested the clockers’ reaction times with a couple of bullet workouts earlier this month.
The redoubtable PINEAPPLE TIDBITS, who won five times in 2022, has quite the fan club at Hastings and she will strip fitter today following a respectable fourth-place finish on opening weekend. QUALITY COMMAND, who represents last year’s leading trainer Edgar Mendoza, closed out her 2022 campaign with a hat-trick of wins; the final two being at this class level. ANOTHERSUNNYDAY, who comes from the rampant Dino Condilenios barn, went down by just a neck on opening day and should be thereabouts again. JERSEY LILLIE, meanwhile, lines up here already looking for her second win of the campaign and can keep things honest on the front end.
A quality field, containing some of last season’s very best 2yo fillies. All five make their 2023 debuts here, including Champion BC juvenile filly AIR FORCE, BC Cup Debutante Stakes and CTHS Sales Stakes heroine LOVEABOVEANDBEYOND and MATSQUI, who finished ahead of Air Force when second to the smart Neighneigh in last season’s Fantasy Stakes. The quintet is completed by ADDENDUM, whose maiden win last October came against the boys and is not easily dismissed.
Peter Redekop’s AROLLERCOASTERRIDE made quite an impact on his arrival at Hastings from California last September. The son of leading North American sire Curlin finished second by a head in the BC Derby, was beaten by a nose in the BC Premier’s Handicap and was just a head behind today’s rival PRINCE CAIRO in a valuable allowance contest to close out his 2022 campaign. EDDIE WHO, meanwhile, had a length to spare over STORMY BLUE on opening weekend, with Prince Cairo back in third in what was the best performance of his career. A repetition of that would give him every chance.
A fascinating Allowance contest featuring the reappearance of last season’s champion juvenile, LEGACY SQUARE. The son of locally-based stallion Lent took the Spaghetti Mouse Stakes on his career debut, before adding two more important 2yo Stakes contests and finishing second in two more. He’ll likely be a warm favourite although this is by no means a walkover. Legacy Square will have to deal with talented opposition, including stablemate ROCKCLIFFE, who put four lengths on the useful Loveaboveandbeyond in his one and only race last term. There is also the little matter of Keeneland maiden winner ARISTOCRACY, who is making his Hastings debut after being campaigned in Stakes company at Oaklawn and Turfway and should have plenty to say in this season’s best sophomore contests.
MILO’S COMMAND and TEXAS LEGACY may prove the key to this wide-open maiden. The duo clashed on opening weekend, finishing third and second respectively to Filly Fatale. Their efforts may give both a crucial fitness edge. WELLSLEY went down by a nose on his final run of the 2022 campaign after mixing it with some useful types throughout the summer. FORCE TO REKN WITH, meanwhile, received a form boost after Lucky Force, who beat him by 1¾-lengths last September, strolled to an 11-length victory on his seasonal debut last week. PURSUE has been working eye-catchingly in the mornings and represents an in-form barn, while SETTEBELLO makes his Hastings debut after racing exclusively at Woodbine until now.
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