Saturday's Previews
A valuable Allowance contest, featuring BC Derby third SPACE and smart three-time winner PURSUE, headlines a fascinating seven-race card at Hastings on Saturday
VALUABLE COWBOY dropped on to the bottom rung of the class ladder for the first time earlier this month and went down by just a head to Quagmire with today’s rivals WISE MARKET, MORETHANSOULTITLE and CALAMAZEUS all behind. He’s a consistent sort who has won in thinner air than this and he is, on paper at least, the one they have to beat. AVE’S IN COMMAND returns to sprinting for the first time since May when third behind Morethansoultitle. Both have solid claims again.
PETERSON LANDING, who makes her first start for new connections since being claimed, had MS. STANFORD, ELLAMEISTER and PRINCESS HANNA behind last time. She also endured traffic issues approaching the home turn and did well to run-on again to finish third. ANZAC BAY, meanwhile, takes a substantial class drop and returns to sprinting for the first time since fifth behind Ebony Eyes (with MS. STANFORD third).
All eyes will be on ACOUSTIC MELODY here, a striking filly by Arrogate who cost Peter Redekop $250,000 as a two-year-old out of the Ocala April Sale in Florida. She worked well enough earlier this week to suggest she can fit in at Hastings, although it’s worth remembering that this will be her fourth new racetrack in four starts, after she made her debut only in August at Del Mar, before moving on to Golden Gate and then Emerald Downs. The best form shown so far is probably HORATIO’s. He was thereabouts in both the Jack Diamond and the BC Cup Nursery Stakes and shouldn’t be a maiden too much longer, while VIVA LA DIVA, from the same barn as ‘Melody’, was highly impressive when third behind Lizzie’s Rayne in the Sadie Diamond Stakes on what was her career debut. DAZ LIN FORCE also put in a solid effort on debut when fourth to Lizzie’s Rayne in last month’s CTHS Sales Stakes and should be a different proposition today.
PENALTY TO RANGERS’ best runs have been when she tries to go gate-to-wire. She had DRILL BABY DRILL, TEXAS LEGACY, PERFECT PENNY and AUNTIE J all behind her when second to Star Finality last time after scooting away from the field early. This will be a different challenge. Texas Legacy wasn’t asked too many questions once her chance had gone that day and she’s better judged on her neck second to Striking Value the time before (with Drill Baby Drill behind). C C SUNRISE has been the definition of consistent this season and surely won’t be too far away if repeating the quality of her recent maiden win.
It may be her first effort over the longer course but STAR FINALITY appeared to have plenty left in the tank last time, when running arguably the race of her career to draw away from Penalty to Rangers over 6½ furlongs. A repeat of that would make her hard to beat. SILVER ARROW has shown solid winning form over the 8½ furlongs at this level, although she was last of five on a rain-soaked track last time. She did have STRIKING VALUE behind when winning over this distance in August and should be in the shake-up. TOBESUNNY finished less than two lengths behind the useful Filly Fatale over this distance last month and she should be involved at the business end again.
PURSUE has taken some useful scalps this season and goes for his fourth win of the campaign here after beating rivals COUNTERACT and BRIAN’S DE LEIGHT last time. He won’t be far away today if repeating any of his previous winning efforts, but will have to overcome a likely hot favourite in SPACE, who was third behind Accidental Hero and Sunbird in the BC Derby on his most recent run. Previously trained by Bill Mott, Space broke his maiden here in July before then finishing a creditable fourth in the Sir Winston Churchill. He looks to have the touch of class required to take this.
ADDENDUM was a comfortable winner last time when, shaken up mid-stretch by a confident Kerron Khelawan, she had EBONY EYES and I’M ALL SHOOK UP behind her. A repeat of that is going to make life tough for her opponents, although this competitive-looking contest is certainly no gimme. NEIGHNEIGH was one of the best juvenile fillies of 2022 and both her appearances this term have been in Stakes company. This looks to be a marginally less exacting task than either of those races and, back at the 6½ furlongs today, she looks to be a big threat. KAPALUA CANDY goes for her fourth win of the season and she had I’m All Shook Up comfortably behind when wining in July.
Saturday’s Picks
Statistics
New Stride News
Breeders’ Stakes: 14 Go in Final Jewel of Triple Crown
By: Jennifer Morrison | September 29, 2023
King’s Plate winner PARAMOUNT PRINCE will make his turf debut in the 133rd Breeders’ Stakes on October 1 at Woodbine, the final jewel of the OLG Canadian Triple Crown. The talented three-year-old gelding owned by Michael Langlois and Gary Barber led all the way in the Plate and won for trainer Mark Casse and jockey Patrick Husbands. Over a very fast but sloppy track at Fort Erie for the second jewel of the Crown, the Prince of Wales, Paramount Prince set rapid splits and could not quite hang on, winding up third.
Now the country’s leading sophomore will tackle the toughest race of the Crown, a 1 1/2 mile tour of the big E.P. Taylor turf course with 13 rivals ready to take him on. Paramount Prince, just one of two horses coming into the Breeders’ having run in both the Plate and Prince of Wales (along with Kaukokaipuu), is by the turf-loving Society’s Chairman.
“He was really gutsy in the Prince of Wales,” said Casse. “(Trainer) Josie Carroll’s horse (Ottawa) ran head-and-head with him three-quarters of the way, and obviously, the pace was very quick, but he is what he is and that’s the way he runs. He ran his butt off, and the winner [Velocitor] ran great and deserved to win.”
“His breeding says he should like the grass, but we’re going to find out,” offered Casse. “We just went easy with him after the Prince of Wales. It’s coming back pretty quickly, so we didn’t feel the need to do too much with him.”
Typically a race won by a longshot because of the distance and the surface, the Breeders’ has attracted a variety of horses including three fillies. Some great fillies have won the Breeders in 132 previous runnings including Dance Smartly, who was one of four gals to win the race in a five-year period in the 1990s.