Mares and fillies are ready to rumble
A NUMBER OF RIVALRIES WILL BE RENEWED SATURDAY AT HASTINGS RACECOURSE
Sparks, and hoofs, will be flying tomorrow afternoon at Hastings Racecourse as several rivals gather for an old-fashioned horse racing rumble.
Divisional titles are on the line with four stakes purses totaling over $300,000 as part of a seven-race card that begins at 1:50 p.m.
And, as often is the case, fans can expect the unexpected.
In the co-feature, the $100,000 Ballerina, six top fillies and mares will be competing for season-ending Best in B.C. awards.
The Ballerina offers an opportunity for 3-year-olds to go up against older competition, and one of those young prospects is Rob and Vicky Gilker’s Victress.
With her customary late-closing drive, Victress won the $100,000 B.C. Oaks on Sept. 10 by a neck in a classic stretch duel with Snuggles from the Swift Thoroughbreds stable.
Earlier on the same card, Russell and Lois Bennett’s Touching Promise won the $75,000 Delta Colleen, and the six-year-old nicknamed ‘The Queen of Hastings’ will be out to repeat last year’s Ballerina win.
Meanwhile, the $100,000 B.C. Premiers has seven starters scheduled togo with B.C. Derby winner Sorry about nothing facing tough competition in a field that almost resemble s this year’s S.W. Randall Plate.
Calgary Caper won the Randall Plate with Shooting Jacket finishing second and Square Dancer third. All three meet again in Saturday’s B.C. Premiers. Shooting Jacket (Hastings Racing Club 11) and Square Dancer (Hastings Racing Club 1) will have their respective throngs of co-owners on hand in their reserved cheering sections.
Two $50,000 CTHS Sales Stakes for 3-year-olds (fillies in one; colts and geldings in the other) round out Saturday’s feature races.
After this weekend there are only four stakes remaining on the 2016 schedule: the $75,000 Fantasy and Ascot on Thanksgiving Monday (October 10); and the $50,000 B.C. Cup Classic and B.C. Cup Distaff on closing day, Sunday, October 16.
MAYBIN HAT TRICK
Chalk it up as an amazing feat for Rob and Sheena Maybin last Sunday at Hastings, one that will probably be written into the Canadian horse racing history book. The Maybins – breeders, owners and trainers – had three winners: Feel No Shame in the 3rd; Lornefivehundred in the 4th and Queen of Barn 1 in the 6th.
As for Maybin’s thoughts about his record setting day, he was away in Ireland attending to personal matters.
Rob and Sheena now find themselves in third place among leading owners this year with nine wins behind Swift Thoroughbreds (14) and the Bennetts (11).
NOTES ON A PROGRAM
Leading jockey Richard Hamel will be looking for career win number 1,500 this weekend with both the Saturday and Sunday cards beginning at 1:50 p.m. Hamel has won 1,498 races over his illustrious career, and continues to be a runaway winner of this year’s Leading Rider title with 63 trips to the winner’s circle.
Next Thursday and Friday nights mark the return of the standardbreds to Fraser Downs at Elements Casino. From now through the end of October there will be 6 p.m. starts on Thursdays and 7 p.m. on Fridays with the first Sunday card set for Sunday, Oct. 30 at 12:45 p.m.