Owner Jordan Froelich and trainer Dino Condilenios made a formidable Cup Day team at Hastings, winning four of the eight races, including feature event on July 20.
A recap of Hastings’ card:
- Owner Jordan Froelich had four owner victories
- Trainer Dino Condilenios had four training triumphs
- Silvino Morales had three riding wins
- Rider Kerron Khelawan hit the winners circle twice
- The handle was an impressive $974,073
The day’s feature was won by Jordan Froelich’s CEREBRO ($8.20), who led throughout under Silvino Morales, getting comfortable fractions of 22.29 and 46.07 befoere sprinting to an easy score in 1:16.99 for trainer Dino Condilenios. Canyon Farm’s BACK SHACK was relaxed off the early pace then put in a sharp three-wide move to join the leaders but couldn’t stay with the winner and held second for trainer Craig MacPherson. J G Williamson Racing’s STAR ENTRY was far back under Amadeo Perez and could only rescue third money for trainer Steve Henson.
Cup Day’s final race capped a remarkable afteroon for trainer Dino Condilenios and owner Jordan Froelich. Their BETTER TONE ($17.30) was content to trail early under Silvino Morales, which proved to be a winning decision behind very fast fractions (23.14, 47.35, 1:12.55), as Morales guided him to the outside on the final turn and easily breezed by the field to win in 1:46.50 for Dino Condilenios. Canmor Farms and Bud Malette’s ACCORDINGLY was close to the quick pace and made the lead on the final bend but got caught late and ended up a good second for trainer Mark Cloutier. The Estate of Mauro Comensoli’s DIVAANY travelled in mid-pack under Scott Williams and ran-on well to be third for Dino Condilenios.
At Assiniboia Downs, two heavy favourites and two longshots divvied up the winnings in four stakes this week, and all four winning performances were exciting to watch.
Early Manitoba Derby favourite MR FILLIP (Mitole) proved without a doubt that he is not a one-dimensional speed horse on Monday night as he rated just off the pace in the 30th running of the $50,000 Derby Trial under jockey Antonio Whitehall, challenged into the final turn, dueled into the stretch, and galloped away to win by six lengths.
Shipped to Canada by trainer Robertino Diodoro from Prairie Meadows after a 13 ¼-length win in the six-furlong $50,000 Golden Circle Stakes there in May, Mr Fillip finished third in the Western Handicap at Century Mile before arriving in the barn of trainer Rick Wise at Assiniboia Downs and easily winning the Golden Boy Stakes.
Owned by Norman Tremblay, who was part of the Diodoro ownership team that won the Manitoba Derby here in 2018 with Sky Promise, and Randy Howg, who won the 2016 Manitoba Derby with Inside Straight, Mr Fillip will be the favourite for the Derby among the horses currently stabled at Assiniboia Downs, and his connections certainly know how to win Manitoba’s most prestigious race.
Midnight Lady won the next race on the card on Monday night, the 31st running of the $50,000 Jack Hardy Stakes, and upset favourites She’s My Niece and Zorina in the process. That pair had been battling it out to the wire in the previous two stakes, and they did the same thing again in the Jack Hardy. Zorina rallied to catch She’s My Niece just before the wire, but Midnight Lady nailed them both late with a strong rally at 6-1 under jockey Prayven Badrie.
Owned by Henry S. Witt, Jr. Midnight Lady helped trainer Lee Delaronde move to the lead in the standings among active trainers. Delaronde now has 14 wins since taking over from trainer Jerry Gourneau, two more than Devon Gittens (12), followed by Mike Nault (11), Jared Brown (9) and Elton Dickey (9).
Nault was in great form on Tuesday night, winning the $50,000 R. J. Speers Memorial with 12-1 longshot Blazing Bo for A2 Thoroughbreds. Covered up inside near the back for most of the race, Blazing Bo moved outside in late turn and came with a strong wide rally under Prayven Badrie to win the 65th running of the Speers by 1 ½-lengths over favourite Exacting.
It was only a matter of time before the steadily improving Blazing Bo broke through in the stakes ranks, and it was smart management that got the 4-year-old into the winner’s circle for the fifth time. Kudos to his trainer and owners.
Also on Tuesday, four-year-old filly Spitten Kitten continued to build on the excellent form she displayed last year here, zipping right to the front in the 47th running of the $50,000 Canada Stakes under jockey Renaldo Cumberbatch, opening up eight lengths on the final turn and coasting home to win by 4 ½-lengths for trainer Marvin Buffalo and his ownership partners, wife Deb and Arnold Souster.
Another who benefitted from a smart management plan, Spitten Kitten was given time off last year after winning three stakes in a row, came back to the races in April at Tampa Bay and finished fourth, and tuned up for her first of her two stakes wins here this year with a fourth-place finish in an allowance race.
Marvin Buffalo has done a fantastic job with Spitten Kitten, and the emotional hug between him and his wife after the race showed just how much this filly means to them. That’s what this game is really all about at its best…
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