Saturday's Previews
AT ATTENTION and INFINITE PATIENCE lead the way in Saturday's feature events, while a strong supporting card includes the first 'Marathon' contest of the season and a Hastings' Racing Club runner
DESIRED OUTCOME was doing all his best work late when running-on threateningly behind Space in a tough-looking maiden contest in July. The winner then ran an excellent fourth at Stakes level next time to boost the form. He’s the one they have to beat. There may not be much between ANDALEIGH and BUZZINGA KARMA who both chased home Dream B last time in what was the second career start for both. Andaleigh rallied well from off the pace after hopping out of the gate and looks as though the 8½ furlongs will suit him well, while Buzzinga Karma missed the win by just a neck and is a clear threat.
Jockey Antonio Reyes had to ask INFINITE PATIENCE some serious questions before she finally put away her rivals in last month’s valuable Northlands Distaff Handicap at Century Mile. The ‘Queen of Hastings’ responded in typical fashion, despite the race not being run to suit her and, if she’s recovered sufficiently from her exploits, will be a very short price to win this for the second consecutive year. WE B THREE flattered briefly when second to Infinite Patience in the BC Cup Distaff, but she enjoyed the run of the race that day while her rival was a comfortably in charge at the wire. WANDALITA makes her first appearance for new connections since being claimed and her most recent effort over this distance, when fourth to Shamra and Rea Mea, suggests she is capable of taking advantage of any slip-ups from the other two.
A few of these are dropping in class here which, ironically, will make for a tougher test than some connections may originally have anticipated. STANFORD NORTH was beaten less than three lengths in a solid-looking contest last time and was twice third in good company prior to that. A first win can’t be too far away. The same goes for MILITARY CROSS, who weakened late on his only run this season when fourth behind Emperorofthenorth and today’s rival
HE’S A SAINT. The cobwebs should be gone now and he should be a different
proposition. This will be He’s a Saint’s 13th attempt at breaking his maiden but, like his class-dropping rivals, he’s been plugging away against good company and is a must for the shortlist.
SILK STILETTOS is having quite the season and goes for her fourth win of the campaign after winning last time at a marginally tougher level. She’s now won three times at this distance and, bar one effort this season, is a very consistent performer. ICE BREAKER had Silk Stilettos behind when winning over the 8½ furlong last year and she’s been hitting the board in deeper waters than she encounters today. AMANDA makes her first appearance for new connections since being claimed. It’s been a while since she took on the ‘long’ course but she beat MISS THE HYPE by a nose when winning over it last year. She’s another who has been taking on tougher assignments than this and can’t be ignored.
SELF SERVING beat Ears to Us and today’s rival EH TEE EM two starts ago and returns to the same level and distance after being unable to land a blow in a tougher event last time. Woodbine import KLIMTOGLORY has struggled to recapture the early-season form that saw him beat Rimfire in a far better race than this. Anything close to that would make him hard to beat. Rider Fraser Aebly sticks with CRYPTO MUNNY after winning on him last time, while Chris Mamdeen replaces Aebly aboard REMEMBERTHEALAMO as he drops in class and returns to the distance over which he won two starts ago. Self Serving’s stablemate THERE GOES MY HERO has made the first four in all five of his contests this year and he’s another for the shortlist.
The first of the season’s exciting Marathon series has attracted a competitive field of horses who hope to benefit from a stamina test. ERLICH finished second in the equivalent race last season before going on to land an 11-furlong event two weeks later. He’s clearly in good form after beating Logical Al last time over what was probably an insufficient mile-and-sixteenth and should play a leading role again. To win, though, he’ll need to deal with the useful and in-form MAKEITORBREAKIT, who is going for his fifth win of the season and has already had rivals GORKY PARK and BROKE AN BROKEN behind him this term; although the latter will be a different proposition today and goes for his fourth win of the campaign after landing the odds by a clever nose last time.
Hard to look too far beyond the redoubtable AT ATTENTION here after he ran so well in Alberta last month when fourth in the Speed to Spare Championship. He and his rider were confounded at every turn as they fought to find a clear lane and this offers an immediate shot at redemption. The bad news for his rivals is that the veteran, who has won four of his last six races, should have plenty of pent-up energy left. SOARINGFORTHESUN split At Attention and AROLLERCOASTERRIDE in last month’s BC Cup Classic Handicap and a repeat of his Lieutenant Governors’ Handicap win in July would put him right in the mix. ‘Rollercoaster’ makes his first outing from the Terry Jordan barn and he’s another who should be a major player again today. PAY MY WAY, meanwhile, is at the mercy of the pace but should again be running on late.
ROSE OF TEXAS will be a warm order to repeat her impressive gate-to-wire win last time although this looks a typically wide-open nightcap that could easily go the way of any of the nine entries. TEXAS HUMOR, for instance, drops a little in class as she returns to the distance she won over two starts ago, while DON’TPASSTHEPEPPER drops onto the bottom rung for the first time and would be a threat if repeating her nose second to Ima Daredevil in July. Racing Club favourite RACINO drops back to sprinting as members hope she can rekindle the form that saw her land two second-place finishes in succession earlier this summer. She’s been working well and gets the nod.
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Saturday’s Picks
'It has been a great year. I am lucky to have so many good mounts.'
Randy Goulding • Special to Postmedia
If the jockey’s race at Hastings Racecourse were a prize fight, it would have been stopped a while ago. With 72 wins, leading rider Amadeo Perez has completely dominated his opponents at the current meet. The nearest challenger is Antonio Reyes, who is 40 behind with 32 victories. Perez is a cinch to take home his sixth riding title and is amazingly winning races at the unheard rate of nearly 37 per cent. As of Thursday, he was also the second leading rider in Canada behind Woodbine’s Kimura Kazushi, who has 76 wins from 370 mounts. Perez has had just 201 mounts.
“It has been a great year,” said Perez. “I am lucky to have so many good mounts.”
One of his “good mounts,” is Abeliefinthisliving. Perez rode him to victory in the Grade 3, $200,000 Canadian Derby at Century Mile on Aug. 26. It was Perez’s second win in the prestigious race, and he is hopeful Abeliefinthisliving will give him his first score in the Grade 3, $125,000 B.C. Derby on Sept. 16.
“I really want to win the Derby,” said Perez. “This is my home, and it would be a great honour to win the biggest race here.”
Perez has been among the leading riders at Hastings since he arrived from Mexico in 2010. He first got on horses at his parent’s farm located in “a village just outside of Mexico City.” His first mounts at a racetrack were at the Hipodromo de las Americas, where his uncle had horses. He was the leading rider there when he was an apprentice.