A day that began with grey hoary skies buffeted by a punishing wind ended with a little August Rain.
For the second straight year B.C. owner Peter Redekop, trainer Barbara Heads and jockey Amadeo Perez won the $200,000 mile and a quarter Canadian Derby at Century Mile on Saturday.
Last year it was Abeliefinthislivin; this year it was August Rain (Sungold – Bitature by Super Saver) sweeping to victory after having only one horse in the 11-horse field headed after half a mile.
But Perez, knowing the early, suicidal pace of 22 seconds flat for a quarter of a mile, :45 1/5 after a half and six panels in 1:10 2/5 was much too fast, Perez merely bided his time picking up horses one at a time until he got briefly stopped nearing the three-eighths pole by a tiring Itsallgoodman.
“Amadeo said he wasn’t worried about being so far back,” said Heads. “He knows the horse and what the horse can do.
“He was more worried when he got stopped.”
So was Heads.
“I thought ‘Oh my God. Something has gone wrong.’
“But then here he comes.
“He responded and took off again,” said Heads.
“He was far back but the hot pace was to our favour.”
Approaching the sixteenth pole, there was no one left to pass.
Voted last year’s Two-Year-Old Colt champion when he won three of his five starts – all stakes – Heads said August Rain has been a nice surprise.
“He’s not a big horse and he doesn’t show much in the mornings.
“But come race time he showed that he was a race horse.
“It’s been fun ever since.”
The 6-5 favourite, August Rain picked up $120,000 for Redekop while getting the distance in a tepid 2:04.94, likely a product of the forceful wind.
The Beyer Speed Figure according to Daily Racing Form was 74.
August Rain’s career earnings are now $284,450 (Can).
A son of Sungold – the same stallion that sired indefatigable Infinite Patience, who won the Northlands Distaff earlier on the card – August Rain has now won three of his last four starts and four of his last six.
He simply just finds a way to win and when he doesn’t he is always part of the conversation.
“He gives it his all every time.”
After winning the Loseth by a nose – in a troubled trip where he was in tight almost the entire way – and the McLeod by a length and a half, August Rain ran third – beaten just a neck for it all – in his start before the Derby, the Sir Winston Churchill B.C. Derby Trial while hung wide.
J Dutton, who finished just behind August Rain in his last start – the Sir Winston Churchill at Vancouver’s Hastings Park – was second two and a half lengths behind the winner; long shot Roussette rallied from last to finish third.
August Rain is the second foal to race of his dam Bitatude, who won three of 13 races. Third dam Heavenliness produced stakes winners Maid of Heaven and Anadatude and fourth dam Haveaheavnlytime produced stakes winners Heavenliness plus four other stakes winners.
August Rain was one of three stakes winners on the richest card in Western Canadian history trained by Heads and ridden by Perez – a training and riding feat that is simply superb and, perhaps, unsurpassed on one card in Alberta thoroughbred history.
The sensational Infinite Patience won her 21st race in 30 starts when she won the $75,000 Northlands Distaff after stalking the early pace set by Manitoba’s Spitten Kitten. Drawing the unfavourable eighth post position, Infinite Patience was once again just too good and too fast.
“She’s definitely herself again right now,” said Heads, who had a tough spring with Infinite Patience, who was “terribly overweight” and lost her first three races to start the season.
“She’s very quiet going into a race but comes out of it like a bear.
“I walked her (Sunday) morning and she was really on her toes.”
And there was Avana who, after stumbling at the start, came from so far back it appeared she wasn’t even in the same race, still took the $100,000 Century Casino Oaks in a romp winning by four and three-quarter lengths. Overcoming both the slow start and a very slow early pace, it was Avana’s fifth win five starts this year. Her only career loss came in her debut last year on the turf at Del Mar, California.
“She’s a big girl; a big-bodied filly.
“She didn’t have the best break but she showed in her last start that she has no problem coming from off the pace,” Heads said of a similar come-from-behind explosion that saw Avana well back again.
Also taking the 13th race with Apprehend, who was nominated to the Derby, Heads, Vancouver’s leading trainer multiple times, and Perez, Vancouver’s top jockey, had a day they’ll never forget.
“I had to pinch myself (Sunday) morning.
“It never gets old. It doesn’t get any better than Saturday. I’m thankful for everything.”
The only stakes race on Saturday’s card that Heads and Perez didn’t capture was the $100,000 Speed to Spare Championship which went to Varatti, who has now crossed the finish line on top in five straight races.
(I’ll have more on Varatti later this week.)
Heads entry, At Attention, finished a close third.
“After the race he had one eye closed. He must have got hit by a dirt clog or something.
“He got bunched up and he’s a big, striding horse and it takes him a while to wind up again.
“But he ran great.”
They all did.
STOCK REPORT – Total wagering for the 13-race card was $1.4 million.
More from Horses:
