Assiniboia Downs’ R.C. Anderson Stakes on August 24 landed in some racing headlines the following day as CLIPPITY COP, a 3-year-old Manitoba-bred filly by Vengeful Wildcat won by the two-horse match race by 84 lengths.
The one mile dirt race, worth $40,000 and restricted to Manitoba and Saskatchewan breds (about 50 horses total from those crops in 2023), originally had 12 nominated horses but just three entrants on draw day. On the day of the race, probable favourite Rise Again was a veterinarian scratch. With just two starters, the race was a non-betting contest and held as the first race of the evening card at the Winnipeg track.
Clippity Cop, a debut winner in May at 5 furlongs with a 35 Beyer Speed Figure, was second-placed -sixth in her next start and the runner-up in the restricted Hazel Wright Stakes at 6 furlongs on July 15. Her Beyer in that race was 47.
Her lone rival in the Anderson Stakes was OUR LAST PENNY, a Nonios filly bred by Manitoba by Mclaren Racing and trained by Steve Gaskin. The young filly had just two starts under her belt, both green efforts in which she was last in both, beaten 44 lengths and 48 1/2 lengths.
Clippity Clop and jockey Javaniel Patterson quickly went to the lead out of the gate while Our Last Penny and Rachaad Knights chased in second, just half a length back. That was as close as Our Last Penny would be in the race, however as Clippity Cop, trained by Michael Nault took off through modest fractions of 25.66, 52.64 and 1:19.97. The margin of victory was noted as the largest of any race since 1991 by handicapper Ed DeRosa. The final time of 1:48.92 for the one mile yielded a 47 Beyer Figure.
Clippity Cop was bred by Dr. Betty Hughes and is owned by Madison Leonard, Scott MacKenzie and Marc Simard. Clippity Cop’s dam AGOLO BYNOE, has produced stakes winners Lady Cop and Call the Cops.
Agolo Bynoe is a daughter of Fort Erie Stakes winner AGOLO, A DAUGHTER of the WITH APPROVAL mare APPROVER.
Clippty Cop’s 4th dam is Anderson Farms and Curraghdale Farm’s TARAGE, the dam of stakes placed Scattered Dreams.
*The big win by Clippity Cop in the match race brought back discussions on social media of some of the biggest winning margins in races, in particular, major horse races.
Secretariat’s 31-length, track record tour-de-force in the 1973 Belmont Stakes completed his American Triple Crown. Count Fleet won his Belmont Stakes by 25 lengths in 1943.
And then there was Man o’ War’s 100-length cruise in the 1 5/8 mile Lawrence Realization Stakes, also at Belmont, in 1920. Just one horse was entered against ‘Big Red’ and that was the minor Hoodwink. Man o’War set a world record for the distance of 2:40 4/5.
at 1:03 is the video of Clippity Cop’s victory in the R.C. Anderson Stakes
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