HorseRacing Central – Friday, August 23rd, 2013

LEADING JOCKEY TITLE A RACE TO THE WIRE AT HASTINGS

With just 17 days of live racing remaining on the 2013 thoroughbred calendar at Hastings Racecourse, you could literally throw a horse blanket over the contenders for leading jockey honours this year. It’s that close.

Amadeo Perez has his sights on defending his title with 43 wins to date but right on his heels are Scott Williams (41) and Aaron Gryder (40).  There are four others who have had 30 or more visits to the Dueck GM winner’s circle:  Antonio Reyes (37), Frank Fuentes (37), Richard Hamel (34) and Enrique Gonzalez (30).

Hamel was Hastings’ leading jockey in 2010 and 2011.  He actually nosed out Mario Gutierrez on the final day of racing in 2011, winning five stakes races along the way.  Gryder leads in stakes victories this year with six while Perez, Williams and Gonzalez have won four apiece.

CTHS STAKES ON FRIDAY NIGHT LIVE CARD

Williams and Gonzalez will be riding morning line favourites in the Friday Night Live CTHS Sales stakes tonight (7:00 p.m.)  Williams will be on Andallthatitmeans at 6-5 in the colts and geldings division for 2-year-olds while Gonzalez rides Architecture at 8-5 for 2-year-old fillies. Andallthatitmeans won the BC Cup Nursery for trainer Anita Bolton by 10 lengths on Aug. 5.  Architecture, trained by Dino Condilenios, won the BC Cup Debutante.

Tonight’s CTHS Sales Stakes for 2-year-olds are the ideal awareness factor for the Canadian Thoroughbred Horse Society’s yearling and mixed sale that takes place Sept. 10 at the Thunderbird Show Park in Langley.  There is a yearling parade set for Sept. 9 with a total of 117 yearlings having been catalogued.

$60,000 IN PRIZES AT YEARLING SALE

Leif Nordahl, president of CTHS-BC, has announced a unique incentive for potential buyers at this year’s yearling and mixed sale.  Six buyers of yearlings will win credits of $10,000 towards the cost of t heir purchases through a series of draws to be staged throughout the sale.  After the first 20 yearlings have gone through the ring, the sale will pause and a draw will take place involving the first 20 purchasers or fewer than 20 if reserve prices are not met.

“We think this series of draws will create a lot of excitement at the sale and get people revved up and ready to buy,” says Nordahl.

Another major incentive at this year’s sale will be a draw for an all-expense paid VIP package to attend the Breeders’ Cup at Santa Anita Nov. 1-2.  The prize is valued at $6000.

Further details about the sale and catalogue information are available at www.cthsbc.org.

NO LIVE RACING THIS WEEKEND

With the annual Fair at the PNE in full swing, live racing at Hastings Racecourse will not take place Saturday or Sunday but will resume next Wednesday (Aug. 28) at 1:50 p.m. and Friday (Aug. 30) at 7:00 p.m., final Friday Night Live card of the season.

The standardbreds will be active at Fraser Downs Race Track & Casino this weekend with a 7:00 p.m. Saturday card followed by Sunday’s 12:45 p.m. start.

Two major stakes to watch on the simulcast network this weekend:  the Travers Stakes from Saratoga Saturday and the $1 million Pacific Classic at Del Mar with an early 1:00 p.m. start time Sunday.