Four Major Stakes on Tap This Holiday Thanksgiving Monday

Vancouver, B.C. (Oct. 10/14) – The popular Friday Night Live cards at Hastings Racecourse will be increased from four to five during the 2015 thoroughbred season announced by General Manager Darren MacDonald.“We will continue with the four Friday Night dates in August and have added Friday, September 4 to next year’s scheduling,” MacDonald said. “They have proven to be very popular with our younger demographic.”

Only six race dates remain on the current 2014 schedule including four major stakes races on Thanksgiving Monday highlighted by the $100,000 Grade 3 BC Premier’s for 3-year-olds & up and the $100,000 Grade 3 Ballerina for fillies and mares 3-years-old & up. Also on the card are the $75,000 Fantasy for 2-year-old fillies and Ascot Graduation for 2-year-olds.

Hometown riding hero Mario Gutierrez has mounts in all four stakes. Both Sunday’s regular card and the Thanksgiving Monday card begin at 1:50 p.m. There will be no live racing Saturday.

The busiest month in 2015 will be May with 10 dates on the calendar, including the Victoria Day Monday on May 18. Other special holiday cards featuring stakes races are scheduled for Canada Day, Wednesday, July 1; BC Day, Monday, August 3 and Labour Day, Monday, September 7. BC Derby Day falls on Sunday, September 13.
Two other Monday dates are on the 2015 calendar: August 24 and 31 during the Fair at the PNE with 4:00 p.m. starts.
“We experimented with dark PNE Mondays during the Fair this year and the response was very positive,” MacDonald said.

The 2015 season begins at Hastings Racecourse on the April 25-26 weekend and runs through mid-October with four tentative dates on the drawing board for October 17, 18, 24 and 25.