Thrills, Spills and Olympians
A double for trainer Edgar Mendoza included impressive Kay's Kitchen in the day's feature event, as Whiskey Talk is first winner for Olympic equestrian Leslie Reid
Pretty much the perfect summer’s day with some high cloud cover and light breeze to mitigate the July sunshine. The track was fast and favoured horses on the speed in all but two races.
HIGHLIGHTS :
Both Learie Seecharan and Amadeo Perez rode doubles.
Edgar Mendoza saddled two more winners.
The Pick 6 was hit by a solo winner and paid $43,657 to one lucky/ brilliant HPI member in B.C.
The Jackpot Pick 5 carried over and sits at $50,672.
The handle came in at a very good $654,188.
Race 1.
The opener went to Hastings Horsepower and Minnaloushe Stables LUCKY LUKE who was given a picture perfect ride by Learie Seecharan as they settled well off of the quick early pace while saving ground then angled off the fence turning for home and outran his rivals to the wire in 1:18.48 for trainer Peter Milburn. The High Stakes Thoroughbreds and John Snow's JUVEE TOO was also held in reserve early and watched the pace duel (22.20, 45.83) between BABY GRAND and FLYUNDERTHEGRAYDAR and passing the quarter pole started to make up ground and appeared to make the lead in the stretch but wandered to the outside costing him the win ending up in the runner-up spot. The Hawaiian Shirt Guys FOOT SOLDIER was taken back to last early and produced a good run up the inside and just missed winning but wound up a close third.
Race 2.
The second of the day was easily won by the Tod Mountain Thoroughbreds KAY’S KITCHEN ($6.30) who took advantage of no one wanting the lead and used her rail post to her advantage and set some leisurely splits with Amadeo Perez of 23.06 and 46.41 and was never in danger and won going away in 1:17.39 for trainer Edgar Mendoza. Don Tetaranko's JUST JIMMY chose to settle in behind the slow pace and when asked produced a good move on the final turn which was good enough to get him second money. The Lindsay Racing Stables, Steen Reggelsen and Kathy Mydske's VALUABLE COWBOY sat a nice trip off of his stable mate on the lead but couldn’t stay with her and ended up third.
Race 3. - The June Anderson Memorial purse
The third of the day was the June Anderson Memorial purse and Christine Ammann's REA MEA ($3.40) made no mistakes in winning for fun after being afforded easy early fractions of 23.03 and 46.74 under Amadeo Perez in a sharp 1:17.37 for trainer Edgar Mendoza giving both rider and trainer back-to-back victories. The Tod Mountain Thoroughbreds KICK UP THE DUST tracked the slow pace and ran on well to just get second ahead of Canyon Farm's FLORAL who was bottled up inside and split fillies at the top of the stretch but was outsprinted to the wire by REA MEA and narrowly lost the photo for second ending up third.
Race 4.
The fourth of the afternoon was won by Cameron Hill and the Forster Stables MT SEYMOUR ($4.00) who broke on top from his inside gate and led the field through 22.61 and 46.98 and was confronted on the final turn and under encouragement from Antonio Reyes fended off all challenges to win in 1:20.07 for Hall-of-Fame conditioner Dave Forster. The Taylor Veloz Group, Dreamtime Stable and Bruce Unwin’s KEEPINGTHEDREAM made a menacing move on the backstretch and looked to be a winner on the final turn but had to settle for second money. The Renfrew Racing's CAROLINA GENT attended the early pace and was in contention until the final stages and wound up third.
Race 5. - The Bob Rohman Memorial
The fifth race was the Bob Rohman Memorial named in honour of a real backstretch character that was a valet, trained horses, galloped horses and recently was a member of the security staff here at Hastings and unfortunately last month he lost his battle with his health issues and passed away last month. Rob and Sheena Maybin's MUSTACHIO ($11.20) ran his A-race today relaxing beautifully on the outside of CALAMAZEUS through a modest pace of 24.76, 48.50 and 1:13.21 and then pushed on to victory in the lane to win under Silvino Morales in 1:45.95. Rob and Vicky Gilker's JACK'S REIGN sat in behind the early leaders and was a threat turning for home and ran on gamely to be second. The Wil-a-Way Farms CALAMAZEUS set the early tempo and was right in the mix turning for home but couldn’t stay with the top two and ran third.
Race 6.
WHISKEY TALK ($20.70) gave Canada’s two-time Olympic equestrian rider Leslie Reid a first winner as an owner, leading the field on a merry chase as he set fractions of 22.36 and a relaxed half-mile in 46.11 and then started to inch away on the final turn and won comfortably in 1:17.94 under Learie Seecharan for trainer Kim Kozak. The More Rewards Syndicate’s DOUBLE SAW ran a big race in his Hastings debut for trainer Tara Neigel as he sat a nice trip in second place early and held his spot throughout behind the pace setter to be second. The Ironside Stables REMARKABLE ANGEL was a little wide early and did well to recover to be third.
Race 7.
The seventh race was won by Mel and Fran Snow's EDDIE WHO ($19.60) named after the longtime BC breeder Ed Dittloff. The lightly raced four year old had no interest early in the race which proved to be a good thing as the pace was very quick and when the front runners were wobbly in the stretch and he came with a rush to win the money in 1:47.38 with Gabriel Morales at the controls. Warren Wilson, June Sutherland, Neil Stajkowski, Barry Hickman and Lesley Small's WISELY PLAYED sat as perfect trip in behind the fast pace and popped out in deep stretch to be a threat and ended up a close second. Rob Scott, William Long and Dan McLeod's HE’S A SAINT set all the fractions going through demanding splits of 23.35, 46,.87 and 1:12.52 but he got a little tired in the lane as he should have and ran third.
Standings
OWNERS:
George Gilbert - 6
Tod Mountain Thoroughbreds - 6
Joe and Gloria Russo - 5
TRAINERS:
Edgar Mendoza - 18
Barbara Heads - 16
Mark Cloutier - 13
JOCKEYS:
Amadeo Perez – 27
Antonio Reyes – 25
Efrain Hernandez - 17
Hastings continues with live action next Saturday, July 16. First race: 2pm
 |
|