HorseRacing Central – Friday, October 11th, 2013
CURTAIN ABOUT TO CLOSE ON HASTINGS SEASON
With an excellent closing day card, the 2013 thoroughbred season will go out with a bang at Hastings Racecourse on Thanksgiving Monday.
It’s a three-day finishing weekend that goes Saturday, Sunday and the Holiday Monday with start times for each being 1:50 p.m. It’s quite possible that both titles for Leading Jockey and Leading Trainer will go right down the wire. Heading into the weekend, Amadeo Perez has 56 wins with Scott Williams (52) and Enrique Gonzalez (51) still in contention. Perez is looking to win the riding award for a second consecutive year.
Craig MacPherson has a slim margin over the legendary Troy Taylor in the trainers’ standings. MacPherson has 33 wins while Taylor and Dino Condilenios are not far behind with 29 each. Taylor, who turned 82 this year, has won the Leading Trainers title the past six seasons.
FINAL FOUR STAKES DRIPPING IN TRADITION
The 67th running of the $100,000 Grade 3 BC Premiers and the 38th running of the $100,000 Grade 3 Ballerina highlight Monday’s card with two $75,000 stakes sharing the spotlight: the 54th running of the Ascot Graduation and 35th running of the Fantasy.
The Premiers goes as race seven on the afternoon’s eight-race card with a field of nine 3-year-olds & up traveling a mile and three eighths. Peter Redekop’s BC Derby winner Title Contender with Northlands Park leading rider Rico Walcott takes on an impressive group that includes Emerald Downs invader Jebrica, last year’s Premiers winner Commander (Aaron Gryder) and this season’s BC Cup Classic winner Brass and Gold (Scott Williams). Jebrica, winner of the $50,000 Budweiser this year, arrived at Hastings Monday and will be ridden by 2011 BC Derby winning jockey William Antongeorgi 111.
The Ballerina for fillies and mares 3-years-old & up is a wide open race in a 12-horse field going a mile and an eighth. Two-time stakes winner Miss Derek (Richard Hamel), a 3-year-old tackling older horses, could be the morning line favourite.
Ole’s Miss (Scott Williams) will be heavily favoured to win the $75,000 Fantasy for 2-year-old fillies going a mile and a sixteenth. Ole’s Miss is coming off an impressive win in the $50,000 Boulevard Casino. The $75,000 Ascot Graduation for 2-year-olds features a tough 10-horse field that includes double stakes winner Andallthatitmeans owned by Peter Redekolp and stake winner Neverabettercause, renewing their rivalry in their last two outings.
NOTES AT THE WIRE:
The 2013 Thoroughbred Awards Dinner is set for Thursday, De. 5 at Newlands Golf & Country Club in Langley. Tickets are now on sale at $70 each through cgossen@gmail.com and B-J Davidson at cthsbc@cthsbc.org
This is the last weekend of Friday and Saturday night cards at Fraser Downs Racetrack. They move to a Friday night and Sunday afternoon schedule starting next week.