Saturday's Previews
The first mile-and-sixteenth race of the season has attracted a fascinating field of runners on an afternoon that also sees the excellent FINDING WAYS go for a rapid third win of the year
WEEKENDINDELMAR had today’s rival DUKE GIRLS behind when staying-on strongly and going down by a length on her season debut. She can go one better with a race under her girth. BLUEBIRD CAFE makes her first start of the year. She was beaten only very narrowly in two similar events last season and shouldn’t be too far away.
GIMLET was impressive on her racing debut earlier this month, forcing the issue throughout and showing real tenacity in a narrow defeat. A repeat performance would put her very close to the winner’s circle. SAILING FORCE has more experience than her rivals and that can help. She lost her position rounding the first turn on her season reappearance and can be closer today, while CHI CHI TIME has been working well in the mornings and represents the in-form Pat Jarvis barn.
OVERLY FAST drops into shallower waters here after bumping into the smart Finding Ways and co on his Hastings debut. He’s fit from a winter campaign in Arizona and should be a bigger threat at today’s level. TEXAS MOONSHINE made up significant ground late to finish second, with DEPUTY’S DANCER and Quagmire behind, on his reappearance and looks a real danger today, while the marvellous QUAGMIRE should be “match fit” after that run and, as a 10-time winner at this distance, is an obvious contender.
TOUCH THE SUN enjoyed a hugely satisfactory racing debut two weeks ago, matching strides most of the way against the more experienced Rondelito, with today’s rival KRIS’S GOLD well behind. COUNTER CAT, who took on the best juveniles around last season, finished ahead of Rondelito when they met prior to Touch the Sun’s race and represents the bar the others need to clear to win this. CREATIVE UNION, one of three entries trained by Patty Leaney, is a half-brother to a Stakes performer and is worth keeping an eye on.
After making what looked like a winning move approaching the home turn last time, ROCKCLIFFE was out-nodded by the late-flying WHAT’S SHAKIN in a deperately close finish and will be out for revenge today. But, while there little between the two, they will have to be wary of the smart SET TO SHINE, who makes his season reappearance here but has been firing bullets in the mornings. FINDING WAYS continues to impress, has won twice already this term and goes for a fourth consecutive victory after besting STANFORD BAY last time.
Fit from a winter campaign in Arizona and California, DUPLICATION didn’t look over-enamoured with the sloppy Hastings’ surface last time, but still ran-on really well late behind the smart Finding Ways and Stanford Bay. He runs as though he’ll be suited by the longer distance today and looks a big threat. Twice a winner at this distance, BAK TO LIBERTY has run well twice already this season over six furlongs and, while there’s little between him and SLOOP JOHN B, who should also strip fitter today after a solid first run of the year, he can make his presence felt.
Lisa & Mike’s Saturday Selections
Clocker’s Report by Lisa Russell
Horses to Watch — Saturday, May 31
The first horse that has caught our eye is a CHI CHI TIME, out of the red-hot Pat Jarvis stable, a first-time starter in the second race, a Maiden Optional Claimer dash for three-year-olds and up, fillies and mares. This filly has been stellar in the A.M. during her morning drills, collecting several Black Dots along the way, including her final prep in 100.00 over the five furlongs. She appears to be in peak physical condition and her trainer can certainly send one out ready to go at first asking.
The second horse that is worth more than a second glance making his season debut is the Barb Heads charge, SET TO SHINE, in the fifth race. His final prep on May 25th was a Black letter stunner, but he handled it with aplomb. We on the roof had to double check our watches, as he crossed the wire in 45.80 over the four furlongs.
One more horse of note entered in the fifth is the Cindy Krasner conditioned, Dennis Spence owned, WHAT’S SHAKIN, who cruised around the oval in a fitness maintaining 59.60 for the five furlongs.
Statistics
From the Province:
The Hastings Racecourse numbers guy who's behind how you'll place your bet
Betting turnover is the lifeblood of horse racing and the harder the puzzles are to solve for bettors, the more the industry benefits
by Nigel Reid
Anyone who enjoys confounding themselves with mental tests such as Sudoku, or Wordle, should head to Hastings Racecourse this weekend.
There they will find another dozen fiendishly difficult four-legged puzzles to solve. Fortunately, solving them won’t be easy and that’s good news for the sport. After all, the more difficult the puzzle, the more betting revenue is usually produced, and that means more resources for the entire industry.
At Hastings, the responsibility for making sure each race is as competitive and difficult to solve as possible falls to the track’s racing secretary, Scott Henson. It’s an unenviable role in many ways. This season, Henson must offer races to suit enough of the horses stabled at Hastings to fill 45 days of racing.
There are hundreds of horses and each has its own needs when it comes to criteria such as age, ability and preferred race distance. Added to which, trainers quickly lose their sense of humour if they can’t find a race for their horse. It can get tetchy.
“It’s weird, because your enemy, or someone complaining about not being able to find a race for their horse one week, is then your best friend the following week,” Henson said.
Fortunately, Henson, nephew of trainer Steve Henson, relishes the challenge of setting enough puzzles to satisfy both trainer and bettor and freely admits to being a “numbers guy.”
“I’ve always enjoyed the stats,” he said. “I used to follow the number of horses and put race condition books together even before I became racing secretary.
“We’ve created a database that basically has every horse on the ground, what category they ran in last and what claiming price they ran for. That gives me a general idea of where they fit in and, on paper, we can start pencilling it all in.”
Rule Changes
Our sincere thanks to Ryan Bremner, racing official with the Gaming Policy and Enforcement Branch (GPEB), for agreeing to let us publish several rule amendments for your perusal. Ryan has indicated there will be several other amendments in the coming week or so and we will publish those as they become available.
Veterinarian’s list
(i) The Racing Division Veterinarian and Track Veterinarian shall maintain a list, to be called the Veterinarians’ List, upon which they shall enter the name of any horse unfit to compete in a race due to physical distress, unsoundness, infirmity, medical, or any other reason.
(i) (a) In Thoroughbred racing, a horse so listed must remain on the list for at least five clear days from the date it is placed on the list. (amended 02/05/2025)
A trainer shall be responsible for:
24. Ensuring that all owners of horses have submitted a licence application, and their application has been approved, prior to their horse(s) being able to start in a race; and
Ensuring that all horses in his/her custody that are stabled on the grounds of the racetrack have a negative test for equine infectious anemia (Coggins’ Test) that is dated and issued by an approved laboratory within the preceding 365 days, and; (amended 24/04/2024)
Prohibitions specified
(a) No licensee shall:
45. Bring any pony horse onto the grounds of the racetrack without providing a certificate of a negative test for equine infectious anemia (Coggins’ Test) for that horse within 48 hours of arrival. (added 24/04/2024)
Entry procedures
Entries shall be submitted by the owner of the horse; or assigned trainer; or authorized agent. Entries will be accepted by the Racing Secretary and designates by phone, or in person with a signed entry card;(amended 02/05/2025)
Nominations or subscriptions
Nominations or subscriptions in sweepstakes shall be accepted by the Race Secretary and designates via:
In person, written with time stamp and signature
Mail
Email
Text Message
(amended 28/03/2024)
112b. Official Outrider - During Races (added 17/03/2005)
(l) keep a current list of all unruly horses and horses that are excused from post parade, and prior to the start of each race day provide the Stewards with a list of all entered horses that are to be excused from post parade. (amended 02/05/2025)
122. Limit on a Jockey Agent’s representation
(a) A jockey agent shall not represent more than two jockeys and one apprentice jockey. (amended 02/05/2025)
Use of riding crops
During a race, a jockey shall not strike more than three (3) times consecutively with their riding crop without first giving the horse a chance to respond. (added 27/04/2023)
131. Claiming prohibitions
(14) At the time of entry into a claiming race, there is the option to declare a horse ineligible to be claimed if: (amended 02/05/2025)
(a) the horse has been laid off and has not started in a claiming race during the past 90 days and the horse is entered for a claiming price equal to or greater than its claiming price in the last race in which it started. In this scenario:
(i) failure to declare the horse ineligible at time of entry shall not be remedied; (added 02/05/2025) and
(a) ineligibility shall apply only to the first start following each layoff. (added 02/05/2025)
(b) (deleted 02/05/2025)
(a) (deleted 02/05/2025)
(b) (deleted 02/05/2025).
the horse is making its first start in British Columbia, and the horse is entered for a claiming price equal to or greater than its claiming price in the claiming race in which it last started. In this scenario, failure to declare the horse ineligible at time of entry shall not be remedied; (added 02/05/2025) or
(d) the date of the claiming race is after September 1st in the year of the current race meet, and the published condition of the race states “waver claiming,” the horse:
(i) must have raced at least once at the current race meet; (added 02/05/2025) and
(a) must be entered for a claiming price equal to or greater than the claiming price in which it last started. (added 02/05/2025)
In this scenario, failure to declare the horse ineligible at time of entry shall not be remedied.
Backstretch Mornings
Hastings Racing Club
