Magical, dream-come-true Mile for Herbie D
VICTORY: Every B.C. jockey, owner and trainer is out to win Pacific Northwest’s premier race
Last Sunday at Emerald Downs, George Robbins from Cobble Creek accomplished what every owner and breeder in British Columbia dreams of doing.
After travelling down the I-5 to the Washington track, Robbins and co-owner Darcia Doman watched their home-bred Herbie D win the $200,000 Longacres Mile with local jockey Amadeo Perez riding.
A race steeped in history for attracting many of the top horses in North America for years, the Mile has earned a reputation for being the premier race in the Pacific Northwest.
“Growing up in Vancouver,” said Herbie D’s trainer Rob Gilker, “you think about winning a race like the Mile, and when you have a horse like Herbie D, you plan well ahead. Unfortunately, we couldn’t get him ready in time last year, and didn’t make it. We just did not have enough seasoning in him.”
The reason behind their caution came when, a few years back, Herbie D suffered a torn suspensory ligament in the front leg, which can often be careerending.
At the time the injury was discovered, Gilker informed owner Robbins of the news, and told him even with an operation his recovery was not guaranteed and they could be just spending his money.
“He (Robbins) told me to do what was best for the horse,” said Gilker. “His patience was unbelievable.” It was this thinking that paid huge dividends. Now five years old, Herbie D has won 10 races from 13 starts and finished second and third. So what changed? “This year the timing was a lot better,” said Gilker. “We chose to race him at Emerald in the $50,000 Mt. Rainier Handicap because it gave us race over their track and gave us a month to get ready for the Mile.”
It was a plan that paid off in spades with Herbie D winning $110,000 of the $200,000 Mile purse and increasing his earnings to $337,928.
It was also a victory that brought attention to how B.C.-bred horses continue to improve each year.
DOUBLE DUTY: It isn’t often we see a trainer put back-to-back stake wins together on same day at Hastings.
On Sunday, trainer Craig MacPherson pulled it off with a win in the $50,000 Hong Kong Jockey Club with Chad Joe’s promising filly Miss Derek, ridden by Enrique Gonzales.
For Joe, a promising newcomer to the sport, the victory earned Miss Derek a spot in the $100,000 BC Oaks in September.
A race later, MacPherson was at it again saddling LSD Enterprises’ Bluegrass Pride to victory in the $50,000 Richmond Derby Trial with Richard Hamel in the saddle.
That win puts Bluegrass Pride among possible favourites for the $150,000 B.C. Derby in September.
NOTES ON A PROGRAM: This year’s Kentucky Derby winner Orb (4/1) faces strong rivals in Belmont Stakes winner Palace Malace (5/2) and red-hot Verrazano (2-1) in Saturday’s $1,000,000 Travers Stakes at Saratoga 2:30p.m. NBC. … How competitive is the jockeys colony at Hastings this season? Amadeo Perez, with 43 wins, has a narrow two-race lead over Scott Williams (41) and Aaron Gryder (40). In the trainers’ standings, red-hot Craig MacPherson (29) holds a narrow edge over six-time leader Troy Taylor (27) with Dino Condilenious (23) … Out at Fraser Downs, they’ve scheduled 10 race cards Saturday evening and Sunday afternoon.