Saturday's Previews
Last year's best juveniles MOUNT DOOM and BREEZIN BRIANNE return to action on an action-packed Saturday card at Hastings. First race: 2:30pm
ARIKARA takes a little class relief here following her bold second-place finish earlier this month. However, it is comparable to the level at which she ran up an impressive sequence of four consecutive wins last season and, with a run under her girth, she looks a worthy favourite. LICORICE also finished second on her season debut in marginally deeper waters than today and won’t be far away at the business end, while INDYETTA looks to follow up on her hard-fought win earlier this month and it’s noteworthy that rider Kerron Khelawan sticks with her, despite having also ridden both Licorice and DON’TPASSTHEPEPPER last time.
GO LENT GO ran well behind Pisco two weeks ago and should be even closer today with that run in the fitness bank, while KEEP IT COMING, fit from a winter campaign south of the border, was a rallying third in the same race and should be helped by this extra half furlong. However, they may both have to play second fiddle to COUNTERACT, who raced almost exclusively in Allowance company last season and is a two-time winner over this distance.
BREEZIN BRIANNE, a leading juvenile last year, faces a tough start to her sophomore season and must take on older horses here. She closed out last term with a third-place finish in the Sadie Diamond Futurity Stakes and it will be fascinating to see how she gets on against the year older SUNBLAZE, third behind the mighty Avana in last season’s Hong Kong Jockey Club Stakes. This is no two-horse race however. ANOTHER LAST DANCE was only a head behind Breezin Brianne in that Sadie Diamond, while fellow three-year-old I’M IN CONTROL made her racing debut in the same race, before beating some useful sorts to break her maiden. She’s been catching some shrewd eyes in the mornings and represents a barn firing on all cylinders.
THOMPSON, fit from a winter season running at Turf Paradise, won with a little in hand on his Hastings debut and, with Amadeo Perez back in the saddle, could easily follow up here, especially after the runner-up on opening day boosted the form by winning next time. CHICKASAW frightened the wildlife with a lickety-split piece of work recently and shouldn’t be far away if able to repeat his win last October, when he had fellow Tammy Snow trainee, PRINCE CAIRO, behind him. DREAMB hit the board in all five outings last season and looks unlikely to end that sequence today, while KIKIS LOVE OF LIFE, now with the Pat Jarvis barn, broke his maiden with a minimum of fuss last September and could represent value at the betting window.
MOUNT DOOM was the best juvenile on the premises last season and, while he must take on four-year-olds here in a real test for a three-year-old, remains the high bar others must clear to win this. BLUEGRASS LENT beat an above-average trio two weeks ago and the form was boosted last weekend when Rondelito went gate-to-wire. This will be just his fourth career start and he might still be on the upgrade. The lightly-raced SNAP TO IT had Bluegrass Lent behind when winning on his career debut last August and was a close-up third in good company on his only other start. He’s entitled to need the outing, but should give a good account of himself, while similar applies to the highly-tried NEWHART, who returned to the fray earlier this month following an 11-month break and caught the eye, rallying gamely to finish third.
Passed and seemingly weakening on his return to action two weeks ago, BRIAN’S DE LEIGHT rallied with real tenacity to reclaim second place from today’s rival, GROOVIN’ IS BAK and looks the answer to a typically baffling finale. KOWBOYKABIN showed enough on his Hastings debut, when staying on well in third behind Knopfler, to suggest he will fit in well in East Van and, with some track experience behind him, couuld be a real threat to the selection. Look for BARNEY GOOGLE late. He’ll probably need a pace to run into, but he wasn’t far behind Brian’s de Leight on his first outing and should be closer again today.
Lisa & Mike’s Saturday Selections
Clocker’s Report by Lisa Russell
Horses to Watch Saturday May 24th
The first horse that we’ve had our eyes on all spring is the Keith Pederson-trained, three-year-old old filly, I’M IN CONTROL, who is entered in the third, an open Allowance dash for three-year-old fillies and a Conditional non-winners of two races for four-year-olds. This filly may be the least experienced runner in this strong field of six, but she’s been lighting it up in the A.M., with several bullets to her name and an outstanding final prep in 46.00 over the four furlongs.
The second horse that’s caught our eyes this spring is making his 2025 debut in the fourth race, a Non Winners of three races Claiming contest ($8000-$6000) for older colts and geldings, is the Tammy Snow-conditioned, CHICKASAW. He has been working steadily and well, with a final bullet prep in 59.60 over the five furlongs.
Statistics
Hastings Racing Club
Backstretch Mornings
