HorseRacing Central May 3, 2007

KENTUCKY OAKS

Trainer Todd Pletcher appears to be holding the best hand heading into Friday’s $500,000 Kentucky Oaks. He will be saddling three ace fillies led by Derrick Smith and Michael Tabor’s Rags To Riches.

She’s been perfect in California and won her final prep - the Santa Anita Oaks - with relative ease and deserves to be the favourite despite the number 11 post.

The Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Filly winner Dreaming of Anna is in the lineup as well as Canadian 2-year-old filly champ Sealy Hill with Patrick Husbands in the irons for trainer Mark Casse.

Since the Oaks is a major race on the calendar, Pletcher isn’t taking any chances standing pat with only Rags to Riches. He’s also entered Cotton Blossom and Octave, a couple of gifted fillies that will be giving Pletcher a bit of an edge in pursuit of the 2007 Kentucky Oaks trophy.

ATTRACTIVE UNDERCARD

As well as the Oaks, there are four other stakes races on the Friday program. The major action gets started early in race 4 with the $100,000 Alysheba going up against Brother Bobby who recently finished second in the Oaklawn Handicap behind Lawyer Ron. There’s a Vancouver interest in Brother Bobby because he’s trained by Grant Forster, son of Hastings’ Dave Forster.

The $150,000 Edgewood, the $300,000 Louisville Breeders’ Cup and the $150,000 Royal Turf round out the stakes action on a guaranteed exciting 11-race card at Churchill Downs.

Gates open at 7:30 a.m. with the first post at 8:00 a.m.

FULL FIELD FOR KENTUCKY DERBY

This year’s Run For The Roses has attracted a full garden of 20 horses with Curlin and Street Sense being the anticipated favourites. No particular 3-year-old has really stamped himself as a solid choice. With the recent withdrawals of Xchanger and Cobalt Blue, there’ve been spots left available for Imawildandcrazyguy and Tueflesberg.

The Saturday Derby card has numerous graded stakes races headed by the $500,000 Woodford Reserve Turf Classic at 1 1/8 miles and the $300,000 Humana Distaff for fillies and mares going 7 furlongs on the dirt.

The $250,000 Churchill Downs Handicaps, the $150,000 Distaff Turf Mile and the La Troienne for 3-year-olds complete the high-profile Derby Day lineup.

Gates open at 7:30 a.m.; first parade to the post at Churchill is 8:00 a.m. Local racing fans can watch and wager the Kentucky Oaks and Kentucky Derby activity at Racebook simulcast centres at Hastings, Fraser Downs, Boulevard Casino, River Rock Casino and other TBC outlets.

RACING RETURNS TO SANDOWN

A 150-year tradition will continue on Vancouver Island this summer with the return of standardbred racing at Sandown Park for three Saturdays in July.

In a joint announcement, the B.C. Standardbred Association and Great Canadian Gaming Corporation said that following discussions with the B.C. Gaming Policy and Enforcement Branch it was agreed that racing will return to Sandown on Saturday, July 14; Saturday, July 21 and Saturday, July 28.

“The purses will certainly be attractive to horse owners and trainers,” said David Aldred, executive director of the BCSA. “The cards will include a Claiming Stakes Series with a $10,000 final to be raced at Sandown on July 28. More than $100,000 in purses and stakes will be raced over the three days.”

The Fraser Downs standardbred schedule ends on June 28 and resumes on September 15.

CHAMPIONS RETURN TO HASTINGS

A couple of champions are expected to make their 2007 debuts at Hastings Racecourse on weekend number two of the local season.

True Metropolitan, named B.C. Thoroughbred Horse of the Year in 2006 and also Canadian Champion on dirt, has entered the $50,000 George Royal Stakes Saturday (May 5). True Metropolitan’s arch rival Spaghetti Mouse, winner of the 2005 B.C. Derby, will go to the post under trainer Ned Sams, who took over full training duties when his long-time friend Gary Demorest passed away April 28 due to kidney failure.

On Sunday (May 6) Monashee, who won Older Fillies & Mares Open Division honours last year, will be the favourite in the $50,000 Brighouse Belles. Spirit to Spare was an easy winner of the Brighouse Belles last year and she’s back to defend her title.

Racing starts both Saturday and Sunday at Hastings at 1:25.

ASK THE HANDICAPPER

In each edition of HorseRacing Central we invite readers to email our resident expert analyst Mike Heads mheads@hastingsracecourse.com with a race-related question. The person who submits the question we publish wins lunch for two at Hastings Racecourse or Fraser Downs Racetrack & Casino. Our winner this issue is Scott Stewart of Vancouver who asks:

“I have often wondered about how horses get their names and the process that has to be followed in order to protect that name. Is it true there are not two thoroughbred horses by the same name in North America?”

MIKE’S ANSWER:
All suggested names have to go through The Jockey Club in New York. That’s where you apply for a name that must be 18 letters or less including spaces. There are certain names that are off-limits like Seattle Slew, Affirmed, Seabiscuit and Secretariat. You can recycle a horse’s name if the horse has not raced in 10 years or if the horse has been deceased for seven years. It is like applying for a birth certificate: The Jockey Club must have all the information on the horse in order to disperse the official papers.

DERBY PICK 10

As part of our Kentucky Derby celebrations at both simulcast locations at Hastings Racecourse and Fraser Downs, horse players can enter the $100,000 Derby Pick 10 contest and registration is free to those contestants 19 years and older.

Pick 10 horses in the Kentucky Derby in the order you think they will finish (from 1st to 10th place) plus two alternates in case of scratches. If the top 10 horses finish in the order you selected, you win $100,000. The player with the top score at each of Fraser Downs and Hastings will win a $1,000 wagering voucher. You can register at the designated computer at each track, one entry per person. The contest closes at 2:30 p.m. Saturday.

BABIES, MOMS ... PRIZES FOR ALL

Hastings Racecourse always acknowledges Moms on Mother¹s Day and Sunday, May 13 will be no different.

Ladies entering the race track Sunday through the main lobby will receive a complimentary carnation prior to enjoying Hastings’ special Mother’s Day Buffet in Silks at just $21.95. The buffet includes an omelet station, various eggs bennie (traditional, seafood and vegetarian), a chocolate fountain and more. Make reservations by calling 604-251-0400.

As part of this special day, we will again be staging the famous Hastings Baby Diaper Derby where babies still crawling - not walking - will participate in their own race across the carpeted race track located on the Mezzanine floor for great prizes.

Babies must be registered prior to Sunday by calling Christine at 604-251-0464.

Road to the Crown Challenge

We’ve completed the first leg in the FREE $100,000 Road to the Crown Challenge handicapping series. Don’t miss out on the fun, excitement and the opportunity to WIN weekly wagering vouchers … or get bragging rights as the Champ of the 2nd Series!

Week 6 Winners included: $100 Winner “macedi” (77.1), $50 Winner “kooky” (73.5), $25 “fielding” (69.7). Series 1 Winners included: $500 “jazzman” (307.7), $250 “francesparr” (269.2), $150 “monashee” (245.4). CONGRATULATIONS!