Kentucky Derby Day at Hastings!
Seven competitive races at Hastings on Saturday, along with the little matter of the Kentucky Derby to be dealt with. The "Run for the Roses" will be live on the big screen - just add a mint julep!
COBRA JET won a $15,000 claimer at Emerald Downs as recently as last August before moving to California and dropping down several rungs. Claimed by David Milburn in December after finishing fourth in a $6,250 claiming contest at Golden Gate, the 5yo looks a serious threat at this level. READY HERO is another horse claimed over the winter as part of an imaginative incentive scheme aimed at recruiting desperately-needed fresh horses to Hastings and he should make his presence felt. RACING RIVER returns to the same class at which he rattled off a hat-trick of wins last summer, while COUNTRY COWBOY has been working well in the mornings and comes from a barn that opened the campaign with a winner last weekend.
With the Cloutier barn saddling two runners, the decision by leading rider Amadeo Perez to plump for the useful WICKED NIGHT is a hint in itself. The Kentucky-bred 4yo won twice and hit the board on two other occasions last year. More pertinently, he made fairly easy work of landing his final race of the campaign when dropped to a level close enough to this to make him a worthy morning-line favourite. The barn’s other runner, ACCORDINGLY, is no makeweight. He’s been working well this spring and did win first-time up last season and at a higher level than he takes on here. He will be a threat if he has recovered from the 10-month break. The majority of LOGICAL AL’s races have come over longer distances than this, although he did break his maiden over six furlongs as a 2yo at the first time of asking. Both the Racing Club’s PRINCE CAIRO and SLOOP JOHN B also seem to be suited better by a little longer and should be different propositions with a race under their girths.
LICORICE was beaten less than three lengths when third in a CTHS Sales Stakes contest last season, with EBONY EYES well behind, and she wasn’t outclassed by the boys when fourth to last weekend’s winner Lucky Force on her final outing of the season. Dino Condilenios again seems to have his barn well forward and the six furlongs shouldn’t be an issue. The lightly-raced DREAMB isn’t easy to weigh up, but beat a subsequent winner when breaking her maiden last August and improved again when second to Freestyle the following month. You can probably throw out her run on the sloppy ground in October and there may be more improvement to come this season from the well-related CTHS Yearling Sale graduate. HOAX arrived at Hastings last July from Florida via Kentucky but, despite being from the fast-starting Steve Henson barn, may need to improve on her four Hastings outings if she is to feature at the sharp end today. Trainer Mark Freeman reports MISS ACCELERATE to have wintered well since he claimed her out of Emerald Downs last August, although this company looks plenty tough enough.
Trainer Edgar Mendoza got off to a rapid start last weekend, saddling two winners and a second on opening day, and he may have the answer here with PETERSON LANDING, who connections re-claimed after she broke her maiden last September. Learie Seecharan reunites with TEXAS LEGACY after steering her to a close-up third behind Nine Oclock Ceaser and today’s rival DRILL BABY DRILL in October. There doesn’t seem very much between either of them. That said, Drill Baby Drill hit the board in 11 of her 12 races last year, has been working noticeably well in the mornings and Texas Legacy may have to settle for a rear-end view again here. PENALTY TO RANGERS finished ahead of Drill Baby Drill last September but then lost out to the same horse the next twice they met. A ‘bullet’ workout last week puts him in the mix.
A hop from the gate didn’t help AMANDA when fourth, beaten just a half-length, behind today’s rival ARIKARA on her final outing of last season and connections can count themselves unfortunate. Arikara managed three wins last season at this level and both should be involved at the business end today. The consistent ANOTHERSUNNYDAY ran Irish Luna to a neck over today’s distance on her first effort last term and needs to be on the shortlist, especially with leading rider Amadeo Perez in the saddle, and the same applies to barn-mate WALKINTHEWALK, who won first-time up last season in similar company. STAR FINALITY, meanwhile, finished last year sandwiching a second-place finish with two wins to make it three victories on the season and she represents a barn that struck on opening day.
RICK’S DANCER took on some tough assignments in his three runs last season and this significant drop in class looks a far more suitable option for the 3yo son of Lent to break his maiden. The same could be said about ANZAC BAY, who finished second on his final outing when dropped in class to the same level he encounters today and he also has the assistance of Amadeo Perez. HOME RUN GIRL appears to have been working well for trainer Steve Henson and, although she is making her racing debut as a 4yo and taking on boys, may not have to be a world-beater to make an impact. BORROWED EQUITY hit the board twice in his final two starts in an interrupted campaign last season and appeals most of the others.
LASTING LIGHT caused an early-morning panic in the geese colony when putting in an impressive ‘bullet’ work recently and that, coupled with a win at this level on her final outing last term, should make her a popular choice in what looks a typically wide-open finale. A midsummer arrival from Woodbine, where she was sharp enough to win on her first start of the season, CARLA’S HONOR finished her season with a win and two second-place finishes and was just a head behind Lasting Light on her penultimate start, with today’s rival ROSE OF TEXAS in third. PINEAPPLE TIDBITS remained popular at the claims box last season and was again a consistent performer without quite recapturing her form of the previous year. She’s been working well for Keith Pedersen and should again be a live threat. Now with the Dino Condelinios barn, RICHARD’S COMMAND tends to arrive fairly late on the scene but certainly has the ability to make her presence felt if she can avoid the traffic.
Gunther Homebred in Kentucky Derby Bid
Mother's Day Event - Win a Racing Club Membership
Racegoers at Hastings on Mother’s Day can win a fully-inclusive membership to the exciting Hastings Racing Club. Simply find the red BC Racebook stand on the tarmac and enter to win. There’s no entry charge and the winner will be announced at the end of live racing.
Hastings Racing Club Membership includes:
Reserved grandstand seating in the Hastings Racing Club section*
Accompanied paddock access before your races*
Free program on Club Race Days
Accompanied backstretch access to watch your horses in training
Orientation event
All costs associated with training, vet, blacksmith, stabling, entry fees
Updates about your horses, plus racing and ownership information
Andy Serling’s Kentucky Derby Preview
Randy Goulding in The Province
Opinion: Best place to watch the Kentucky Derby, other than Churchill Downs, is at Hastings Racecourse.
Randy Goulding, Special to Postmedia • Special to Postmedia
A full field of 20 horses will line up for the 150th running of the Kentucky Derby on Saturday, and other than being at Churchill Downs, the best place to watch the 1-¼ mile classic for three-year-olds is at Hastings Racecourse.
The race will be shown on the big screen in the infield. The Derby goes at 3:57 p.m. and Hastings is opening up their new barbecue pit in front of the grandstand where patrons can enjoy great food and an exciting race.
“The smoked chicken wings will be highlighted, and you can get a great brisket at the Paddock Grill,” said Ryan McCartney, general manager for Hastings. “We are also having the buffet return in Silks, by reservation only.”
Anyone making it to Louisville should take in the party hosted by Grant Forster on Central Avenue, which has an exceptional view of the famed racetrack. Forster, whose father, David Forster, was inducted into the B.C. Horse Racing Hall of Fame in 2002, has been hosting the party since he became the full owner of the house in 2013.
Read the rest of Randy’s article by clicking the button here:
Bloodhorse Daily Headlines — Friday May 3
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