Peter Redekop’s grey colt ABELIEFINTHISLIVIN took advantage of a strong pace early in the 94th Canadian Derby (G3) and powered away to a 2 1/2 length win in Alberta’s premier race for three-year-olds and second leg of the Western Triple Crown. The Derby had a full field of 12 traveling 1 1/4 miles on the Century Mile dirt track and fans were quickly enamored with Abeliefinthislivin, who was coming in from the U.S. after racing against tough company for trainer Peter Miller.
Abeliefinthislivin joined the stable of trainer Barbara Heads a couple of weeks before the Derby, was paired up with jockey Amadeo Perez for a pre-Derby workout and then made easy work of this Derby rivals. Installed at a surprising 10 to 1 in the morning line odds, the son of Arrogate – Half A P by Pulpit was hammered down to 8 to 5 by post time.
It was 4-to-1 third choice Heroic Move, trained by Robertino Diodoro, who set sail on the pace under replacement rider Mauricio Malvaez, setting strong fractions of 22.60, 47.05 and 1:10.89. Heroic Move was coming off a second-place finish in the Manitoba Derby at Assiniboia Downs to Mano Dura on Aug. 7 and had met Abeliefinthislivin in an allowance race at Churchill Downs in June, finishing third, just ahead of his rival. The winner that day was Scotland, a colt who was highly regarded heading into Saturday’s Travers Stakes (G1) at Saratoga.