HorseRacing Central October 8, 2010

FULL FIELDS FOR CLOSING WEEKEND STAKES AT HASTINGS
The curtain closes on the 2010 thoroughbred season at Hastings Racecourse on Thanksgiving Monday and all signs point to a momentous final three days of racing.

“We wanted to finish the season on a strong and positive note,” says General Manager Raj Mutti.  “With four $100,000 stake races all with full fields, we’ve accomplished what we set out to do.”

It begins with the Ballerina on Saturday for fillies and mares, followed by the Premier’s for 3-year-olds and up on Sunday.  The star-studded weekend lineup then hits a crescendo with the Sadie Diamond Futurity for 2-year-old fillies and the Jack Diamond Futurity for 2-year-old colts and geldings on the holiday Thanksgiving Monday.

Both the Ballerina and Premier’s will go with the maximum 12-horse field while the Sadie and Jack Diamond Futurities will each have 11 entries.  Start times for all three days is 1:40 p.m.

THE BALLERINA
Summer Song, trained by Troy Taylor, is expected to be the favourite in the Ballerina even though she lost to KimmyV in the Emerald Downs on Aug. 22.  Summer Song, who has won all three of her races going around three turns at Hastings this year, bounced back to win the Delta Colleen on Sept. 25.  KimmyV, trained by Dino Condilenios, will be making her first start at Hastings after being purchased privately by Swift Thoroughbreds Inc. following a first level allowance win at Churchill Downs on May 6. 

Wind Storm, shooting for her fifth straight win for trainer Dave Forster, will also be a strong challenger along with Wando Woman, second-place finisher in the BC Oaks.

THE PREMIER’S
Emerald Downs invader Assessment has never challenged the 1 3/8th miles distance but arrives with the 2009 Longacres Mile title to his credit.  Trick of the North, trained by Barbara Heads, is the defending Premier’s champion and will have an honest pace to work with while other definite contenders will be Canadian Derby winner Tommy Danzigger as well as the Dave Forster-trained Senor Rojo.  The ever-popular Spaghetti Mouse is also part of the field.

RUSSELL BAZE MAKES A RETURN VISIT MONDAY
The world’s all-time leading rider is coming back to Hastings by popular demand!  Russell Baze, born in Vancouver 52 years ago, became the first jockey ever to reach 11,000 lifetime wins and was a big hit with local fans when he returned to his roots on BC Derby Day last month.  Baze won the Ascot Graduation aboard the Craig MacPherson-trained Too Much Dirt and the trio will be reunited in Monday’s Jack Diamond Futurity

Baze will also ride Love Logic in the Sadie Diamond for owner/trainer Barbara Heads. 

DOWN TO THE WIRE FOR TRAINER’S TITLE
Can Troy Taylor make it four consecutive training titles at Hastings Racecourse?  The 79-year-old icon, named last week as a 2010 inductee into the B.C. Horse Racing Hall of Fame, heads into the closing weekend with a slim two-win lead over Craig MacPherson.  Taylor won his first trainer’s crown at Hastings in 1963, the same year Beatlemania hit the U.K. and the Toronto Maple Leafs were winning a Stanley Cup.

Taylor has 46 wins heading into this final weekend.  MacPherson, on fire in recent weeks, has 44 wins.  Richard Hamel has locked up the leading jockey title with 80 wins and counting while the colourful combination of Glen Todd and Patrick Kinsella are assured of making it four years in a row as leading owners.

Dancewithavixen, trained by Tom Longstaff throughout her career, will join Taylor as a 2010 Hall of Fame inductee.  Dancewithavixen won 11 stakes races at Hastings, where she compiled a 12-6-3 record from 22 starts.  She won the Ballerina as a 3-year-old in 2003 and closed her career with a win in the BC Cup Distaff as a 4-year-old.

NOTES, QUOTES & ANECDOTES
A lucky Hastings Racecourse patron on Thanksgiving Monday will be presented with an ‘Ultimate Sports Weekend’ prize package following a draw at approximately 4 p.m.  The gift pack includes two tickets to the Vancouver Giants game against Seattle on Oct. 15, the BC Lions game against Edmonton on Oct. 16 and the Canucks-Carolina game of Oct. 17. Dinner in the Eclipse Lounge in the Hastings Casino is included on all three nights, as well as transportation to and from each game … Ken Bell, Gary Bain and Brad Hamanishi won trips to the Coast Casino Horseplayer World Series in Las Vegas by finishing as the top three handicappers in last week’s Hastings Qualifying Tournament. Hastings will be sending two more lucky patrons to Vegas after Sunday’s races.  Over the course of the Friday Night Live cards at Hastings, 14 handicappers won a spot to compete in Sunday’s final in Silks Restaurant. … “I am deeply honoured and will cherish the moment” were the words of long-time HBPA executive and B.C. Horse Racing Hall of Fame member Bryant McAfee when he was asked to be Guest Decorator for Sunday’s 64th running of the Premiers Stakes. Jill Diamond, granddaughter of Jack and Sadie Diamond, will be joined by three great Diamond grandchildren in the winner’s circle for Monday’s features.

WEEKEND NUMBER TWO FOR FRASER DOWNS
Enthusiastic crowds welcomed live racing back to Fraser Downs last Friday and Saturday nights and more of the same is on the harness racing agenda tonight (Oct. 8) and Saturday (Oct. 9) with start times set for 7:00 p.m.

A pair of $25,000 BC Sales Stake races highlight the Saturday night card.  First up in race 9 is the colts and gelding Final for 3-yer-olds.  The morning line favourite is Lucky Peterson, a seven-time career winner who comes off a win in the eliminations last week.  Kevin Anderson drives for his brother Mark. 

Race 10 is the 3-year-old fillies Final.  The solid favourite will be Mystic Maiden.  Out of 16 starts, she has crossed the finish line first in all but one.  Dave Hudon drives for owner Barry MacFarlane and the Crimson Racing Stable. 

Beginning next week, the racing schedule at Fraser Downs will be Friday nights and Sunday afternoons.