Williams Rides Three-Timer
Jockey Scott Williams grabbed the headlines on an exciting afternoon at Hastings that saw plenty of close finishes
HIGHLIGHTS :
Scott Williams had a riding triple on the afternoon.
Antonio Reyes had an abbreviated day but visited the winners circle twice. He was unseated following his second win aboard A TREE OF LIFE and is okay but a little stiff and took the remainder of the day off.
Edgar Mendoza earned two more training wins.
The Pick 5 carryover is now at $34,144 and the Pick 6 is up to $24,743.
The handle checked in at $415,505.
A nice breeze off the inlet tempered the summer heat and made for an extremely pleasant afternoon at the East Van oval. The track was once again fast all afternoon.
Race 1.
The Sunday opener went to the Tod Mountain Thoroughbreds KANDY KATIE ($5.50) who broke nicely under Antonio Reyes and relaxed beautifully on the outside of the speedy ANOTHERSUNNYDAY and together set easy splits of 23.13 and 47.10 but with an eighth of a mile to go KANDY KATIE started to get the better of her rival and won by a little more than a length in 1:17.01 for trainer Edgar Mendoza. The Tod Mountain Thoroughbreds WANDALITA completed to the Exactor racing three wide through much of the trip and did well to be second. Peter Redekop's ANOTHERSUNNYDAY ran gamely throughout and just held on to be a close third.
Race 2.
The second went to the Pocket Aces Racing Stable's WE'RE IN COMMAND ($7.50) who was given a perfect trip by Scott Williams settling far back off of a contested pace duel then started to creep up on the backstretch and saved ground on the final turn before angling out four wide into the lane and swept by for the victory in 1:46.04 for trainer Steve Henson. The WYN Racing Stables VON DOM ran another good one as he tracked the speed out in the three path and continued wide for the entire trip and showed great courage to the finish but had to settle for second money. Gabrielle Mathussek’s PADDY D'ORO got caught up in a three way pace duel through fractions of 24.55, 47.95 and six furlongs in 1:13.38 and started to feel the effects of the contested pace in the late going and ended up third.
Race 3.
The third of the day went to Jordan Froelich's DR BENNY who was given another textbook ride by Scott Williams as he saved all the ground behind the speed then split horses at the eighth pole to get up for the win for trainer Dino Condilenios in 1:46.59. The Minnaloushe Stables and Dave Milburn's SLOOP JOHN B was very game in defeat as he set all the fractions (24.44, 48.47 and 1:13.95) under apprentice Kimal Santo and fought right to the wire to finish a clear second. The JT Racing and Ryan Deyotte's TRAPALIS took his usual position at the back of the group through the early going and was traveling nicely at the end to claim the third spot.
Race 4.
The fourth of the afternoon featured seven two year old first time starters going three and a half furlongs and fastest proved to be Joe and Gloria Russo's BUCK IN COMMAND ($9.30) who did everything right breaking well and running on sharply through to the stretch to win in 40.61 for trainer Patty Leaney. Impressively, six of the seven runners came out of last year’s CTHS Yearling & Mixed Sale, with the winner shrewdly snapped up by the Russos for a bargain $2,000. The Tod Mountain Thoroughbreds and James Redekop's DANCING WITH LIL was away alertly and made the lead through fractions of 22.68 and 34.11 but was outrun in the stretch and stayed on for second. Marty Miller's BLOWINWITHTHEWIND wasn’t done any favours by drawing the one post position and after a so-so beginning he was stuck down on the inside but was closing strongly late and rescued third place.
Race 5.
The fifth event went to Peter Redekop's A TREE OF LIFE who took a class drop and stretched out to a mile and a sixteenth and was the easiest of winners cruising to a 12 length score under Antonio Reyes in 1:46.97 for trainer Barbara Heads. Rob and Sheena Maybin's JACK DON'T DRINK settled off he pace under Silvino Morales and ran on to be second. Randall Mowers EH TEE EM at 45-1 showed good speed away from the gate and battled through comfortable fractions of 24.24, 48.94 and 1:15.50 and just lost a photo for second and wound up a much improved third.
Race 6.
The sixth went the favoured nine year old of Roy and Dixie Jacobson’s COULTERBERRY ($5.50) who was happy to sit at the back of the pack early and when it counted he started to roll up on the inside but had to wait for racing room behind a wall of horses so Amadeo Perez guided him to the far outside and finished with good energy to score in 1:45.36 for trainer Mark Cloutier. Russ and Lois Bennett's JUST MAKE BELIEVE sat much of the trip in the three path and began to inch up on the final turn and made the lead turning for home but couldn’t hold off the winner and ended up a good second. Jordan Froelich's MR QUALITY showed he could handle the step up from conditional claiming races into open company and he battled gamely in between horses and checked in a close third.
Race 7.
The last of the day went to Kathy Mydske Steen Reggelsen and the Lindsay Racing Stables VALUE MAX, who was allowed to relax well off of a quick early pace then started to pick up steam on the stretch turn and easily ran by the tired pace setters to break his maiden for trainer Edgar Mendoza in 1:18.15 giving Scott Williams his third riding win of the day. Ralph Jesiak's SHARPZAN had a nice trip sitting just off the early leaders and rallied through the stretch to snare second money at the wire. The Canyon Farm’s MONTE showed sharp early speed and was pushed through quick splits of 22.16 and 45.88 and led the field to the lane but got a little tired late and lost the photo for second and finished third.
Overnight entries for Canada Day, Friday July 1st
Extra! Extra!
Don’t Forget
Latest standings
OWNERS:
Tod Mountain Thoroughbreds - 5
Joe and Gloria Russo - 4
George Gilbert - 4
TRAINERS:
Barbara Heads - 14
Edgar Mendoza - 13
Mark Cloutier - 11
JOCKEYS:
Amadeo Perez - 23
Antonio Reyes - 19
Scott Williams – 12
Awards Presentation Day
The results have been out for a while, but Sunday afternoon at Hastings was the first opportunity to present winning connections with their 2021 Hastings Thoroughbred Awards trophies. We’ll publish all the photos from Sunday throughout the week but, to start, here are Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (second left between father Roger and mum Debbie) and Bill Decoursey (right, alongside Noi Decoursey) being presented with the Horse of the Year Trophy for their amazing racemare, INFINITE PATIENCE — N.R.
Hastings resumes CANADA DAY, Friday July 1st and features three valuable Stakes contests as part of a seven-race card. First race: 2pm
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