U Did It favored to stay perfect

VANCOUVER, British Columbia – The $50,000 Jack Diamond Maturity and $50,000 Sadie Diamond Maturity share the spotlight Sunday at Hastings, but there is no doubt U Did It is the star of the show as she will try to remain undefeated in the Sadie Diamond.

Both races will be contested at 6 1/2 furlongs and are restricted to horses who were eligible for the 2021 Jack and Sadie Diamond futurities, which were canceled due to a lack of purse money.

U Did It won her three races as a 2-year-old for trainer Edgar Mendoza by a combined 17 1/2 lengths. In her final start in the $50,000 CTHS Sales Stakes on Aug. 30, she led from start to finish and was never turned completely loose by jockey Antonio Reyes. In her previous start, an allowance race for British Columbia-breds, Reyes took a big hold of her early and let her bide her time while Shamra and Shanghai Dawn dueled though honest interior fractions. When Reyes asked her to run, she responded immediately and drew off to win for fun.

Mendoza is happy with how the daughter of Teide is coming up to her first race as a 3-yearold. He gives Reyes a lot of credit for U Did It’s success.

“She’s been training and working very nicely,” Mendoza said. “Antonio is doing a wonderful job with her. He keeps teaching her, and she responds very well.”

As for strategy in the Maturity: “She can rate, but she drew the one hole, so she will probably go, but I will just leave it up to Antonio.”

Shamra, also trained by Mendoza, chased U Did It in her last two races and figures to be in the mix early after breaking from post 2 with Edgar Hernandez riding.

Mount Asgard looks like the one to beat in the Jack Diamond, but Regal Riot might be up to the task.

Trained by Robbie Anderson, Regal Riot was impressive winning a $50,000 maiden optional-claiming race May 7. In his only other start, Regal Riot raced greenly while finishing second in a maiden special weight race on Sept. 10 at Century Mile.

The son of Jersey Town is out of Regal Red, who was never threatened while winning six straight stakes at Hastings for Anderson as a 3-year-old in 2004.

“He reminds me a lot of his mother,” Anderson said. “He’s really matured over the winter, especially at the gate. In his race in Edmonton he wanted to put his front feet over the front of the gate. Despite everything that went on in his race there, he never batted an eye.”

In the race Anderson was referring to, three horses had to be scratched at the gate.

Regal Riot will break from the outside post in the six-horse field with Reyes up.

Mount Asgard won both of his starts at Hastings before finishing third in the $48,000 CTHS Sales Stakes at Century Mile. The son of Sky Mesa has been training forwardly for trainer Steve Henson and could be tough to get past if he breaks alertly from the inside post with Cerapio Figueroa aboard.