Lt. Governors Stakes Race Welcomes B.C. Attorney General

June 30, 2006

The Lt. Governors Stakes is one of the biggest races of the local thoroughbred season and Hastings Racecourse is proud to welcome as its guest decorator Saturday - Canada Day - British Columbia’s Attorney General, The Honourable Wally Oppal.

The 10-horse field for the $125,000 Lt. Governors showdown features some of the finest talent drawn together to date with the entry of Quiet Cash and True Metropolitan logged as morning line favourites. They’ve been tabbed by Hastings race analyst Mike Heads as “a tough tandem to beat”. Veteran jockey Chad Hoverson will ride Quiet Cash while apprentice sensation Mario Gutierrez is on True Metropolitan.

But the stablemates owned by Bahadur Cheema and trained by Terry Jordan will be facing some respected competition. Alexandersrun, last year’s Emerald Derby winner, has been prepping for this race for more than a month and will have veteran Jake Barton in the irons. The 2005 Lt. Governors winner R. Associate has noted jockey Ben Russell making a special Canada Day visit from Seattle.

Hastings leading rider Pedro Alvarado will be on Bull Ranch, winner of last year’s Premier’s Handicap. Dave Wilson, second in this year’s jockey standings, rides Spaghetti Mouse, last year’s B.C. Derby winner. The rest of the talented field includes Shacane (Felipe Valdez), Tobe Sauve (Anderson Ward), Trick of the North (Richard Hamel) and Illusive Force (Carlos Silva).

As part of Canada’s 139th birthday celebration, Hastings Racecourse has arranged for the Dr. Strangelove Band to perform from 1-6 p.m. between races. The traditional colour guard parade features the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 119 from Port Moody and the Kids Zone including free pony rides will be open from 1-5 p.m.

For Media & Entertainment Inquiries: Howard Blank @ 604.303.1000