HorseRacing Central – Friday, August 2nd, 2013

LARGE & COMPETITIVE FIELDS

READY TO GO FOR BC CUP DAY AT HASTINGS

An Early 12:50 p.m. Start for Holiday Monday Card

Vancouver, B.C. (August 2, 2013) – Veteran thoroughbred racing analysts refer to BC Cup Day on Monday, Aug. 5 as “one of the best in years” based on field sizes and competitiveness in past performances.

The nine-race card includes six stakes with purses totaling more than $325,000 for horses bred in British Columbia. The feature goes as the 8th race (4:29 p.m.) with the running of the  $75,000 Redekop BC Cup Classic for 3-year-olds and upward.

“Our horsemen worked long and hard with our Racing Office at putting together a great card,” said Raj Mutti, General Manager, BC Racing and GM at Hastings Racecourse. “We’re looking for our biggest crowd of the season on Monday.”

The stakes schedule begins with $50,000 purses for the Nursery (2-year-old colts and geldings) followed by the Debutante (2-year-old fillies), the Stellar’s Jay (3-year-old colts and geldings), the Dogwood (3-year-old fillies) and the Distaff (3-year-old fillies and mares) all leading up to the $75,000 Redekop BC Cup Classic.

Monday’s entire card is available at www.hastingsracecourse.com under racing entries.

MARIO RETURNS TO RIDE IN FIVE BC CUP RACES

The return of jockey Mario Gutierrez to Hastings Racecourse has heightened the excitement surrounding BC Cup Day.  Last year’s winning rider in the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes arrives in Vancouver Sunday night from Del Mar Race Track in California.  Mario has five mounts on BC Cup Day including El Capone for trainer John Snow in the Redekop Classic.  He will also ride Habida for Pat Jarvis in the Debutante, Tracker for Barb Heads in the Stellar’s Jay, Gabigotherway for John Morrison in the Distaff and Tempered Steel in the Dogwood for Brian O’Connell.

Gutierrez was the leading jockey at Hastings in 2007 and 2008 under the guidance of owner Glen Todd, who also mentored Mario through his amazing attempt at winning the Triple Crown last year.  With Gutierrez leaving to ride full-time in California, Todd signed veteran jockey Aaron Gryder to a two-year contract to ride for him at Hastings.  Gryder is currently the leading jockey locally with 36 wins in 152 starts and in each of Monday’s five stakes races Gryder and Gutierrez will be riding against each other for the first time at Hastings Racecourse.

Robin Reichman from the television show Real Housewives of Vancouver will sing the National Anthem prior to Monday’s 12:50 p.m. card and will also make a special guest appearance with the band Dr. Strangelove that will be performing throughout the afternoon.  As always, there is no admission charge at Hastings Racecourse.

While Saturday’s card has been canceled, the regular start time of 1:50 p.m. applies to Sunday live racing at Hastings.