Vancouver, B.C. (Sept. 22/19) – As has been noted down through the years, horse racing and intrigue have always been bedfellows.
Trainer Barbara Heads and jockey Antonio Reyes can testify to that philosophy following back-to-back victories on the weekend in a pair of $100,000 stakes named in honour of Sadie and Jack Diamond at Hastings Racecourse.
Everything went according to plan when 1-9 betting favourite Infinite Patience won her third consecutive stakes in convincing fashion Saturday in the 30th running of the Sadie Diamond for two-year-old fillies. It was a familiar scene for the Heads/Reyes combo who now look forward to running Infinite Patience in the $75,000 Fantasy on October 13.
“That will be our next venture,” Heads happily confirmed after watching the six-length victory by Infinite Patience in a final time of 1:17.30.
But neither Heads nor Reyes were visible Sunday after Synergy was declared winner of the 89th running of the Jack Diamond Futurity for two-year-old colts and geldings. Following a lengthy stewards’ inquiry, the ruling came down that first-place finisher Baktura ridden by Richard Hamel caused interference to Bakken the U S S R approaching the first turn of the 6 ½ furlong race.
Baktura was disqualified and unplaced while Synergy was declared the winner after crossing the wire in a photo-finish, nosing out Capilano Canyon for second.
Bakken in the U S S R went over the rail, taking jockey Jose Gomez with him. Both the horse and rider left the track under their own power.
Synergy paid $11.80, $4.50, $4.20.
With two wins Saturday in addition to the disqualification decision Sunday, Reyes moved into a tie for first place in the overall jockey standings with Enrique Gonzalez
Each has 45 wins on the season after Gonzalez won once on each of the weekend cards. Hamel sits in second place with 43 while defending champ Amadeo Perez has 40.
There are only 10 racing dates remaining on the 2019 Hastings calendar with two more $100,000 stakes coming up next weekend: the Ballerina Saturday and BC Premiers Sunday. Start times are the regular 1:50 p.m.
For further information:
Darren MacDonald
General Manager
dmacdonald@hastingsracecourse.com