The Queen of BC racing, HERE’S HANNAH, won a race-long duel with Northern Graystar to take the 1 1/16 mile Delta Colleen Stakes on Oct. 1, the final day of the 2020 Hastings Racecourse season in Vancouver.
The amazing 5-year-old mare, voted the Sovereign Award winning older mare in Canada for 2019, put her nose in front at the finish for her 15th career win in just 18 starts. Ridden by Scott Williams, the BC bred daughter of Numaany is owned and was bred by B.C. Stable and trained by John Morrison.
The Delta Colleen kicked off a 14-race card that wrapped up a difficult season for BC horsepeople (like all of the Canadian racing jurisdictions). Horses shipped in and began training in March before the COVID-19 pandemic hit and horses then had to leave the track grounds. Great Canadian Gaming Company allowed horses to return to the backstretch May 1 and racing began July 6 without fans. There were just 25 race dates, about half of a regular season.
The track’s social media platforms and website essentially shut down for the year and the only news coming out of the track came via Glen Todd’s Derby Bar & Grill Newsletter.
The track’s marquee race, the BC Derby, was not held this year.
Trainer CHRISTINE AMMANN, in just her second full season of training, won 2 stakes races on the final card of racing. Her own filly, REA MEA (Lent – Strangelove by Tiznow) won the $100,000 Sadie Diamond Futurity as the longest shot in the field of 2-year-old fillies.
With Jeffrey Burningham riding, Rea Mea sat just off We B Three before taking over the lead at the top of the stretch. We B Three held on well to finish 1 3/4 lengths clear of the Ammann-trained Kandy Katie, who rallied to finish third. The final time was 1:18.03.
Two races later Ammann sent out Tod Mountain Thoroughbreds’ STAY FANTASTIC to win the $50,000 S.W. Randall Plate who paid $8.80.
Ridden by Scott Williams, Stay Fantastic settled early behind a fast and contested pace before taking command just after turning for home in the 1 1/16-mile race for 3-year-olds and up. He finished three lengths in front of Coulterberry, who stalked, took over the lead on the stretch turn, but could not resist the strong move made by the winner. Five Star General finished third as the odds-on favorite. The final time was a snappy 1:43.76.
The win completed a perfect meet for Stay Fantastic, who won his four previous races. It was the first stakes win for the homebred 4-year-old gelding by Stay Thirsty.
Tamara Baker owns and bred FOOT SOLDIER who won the $100,000 Jack Diamond Futurity completing a sweep for the stallion Lent of the two big juvenile races.
FOOT SOLDIER ($21.90) broke sharply from his inside gate and took the early lead under rider Jose Asencio and was challenged by the heavily bet ATLIN BAY through fractions of 22.12 and 46.14 and easily put that one away on the final turn and drew off for an impressive 3 ¼ length score for trainer Milton Palma. The final time was 1:18.57.
Highlights of 2020 Hastings Racecourse Season
- Amadeo Perez is the 2020 Hastings Leading Jockey with 49 wins.
- Amadeo Perez: 49 wins
Efrain Hernandez: 39 wins
Scott Williams: 34 wins
Silvino Morales: 24 wins
Alexander Marti: 18 wins
Enrique Gonzalez: 10 wins
Jose Asencio: 8 wins
Jose Gomez: 8 wins
Jeffery Burningham: 5 wins
Lenny Seecharan: 5 wins
- North American Thoroughbred Horse Company is the 2020 Hastings Leading Owner with 19 victories
- North American Thoroughbred Horse Company: 19 wins
Tod Mountain Thoroughbreds: 12 wins
Rob and Sheena Maybin: 8 wins
Russell J. and Lois Bennett: 7 wins
Swift Thoroughbreds, Inc.: 7 wins
Peter Redekop B.C. Ltd.: 5 wins
Willow Creek Farms and Fabio Chiesa: 5 wins
Marty Miller: 5 wins
Sandown Racing Club: 5 wins
Tamara Baker: 4 wins
Willow Creek Farms: 4 wins
James Redekop: 4 wins - The Hastings Leading Trainer Title resulted in a tie between trainers Mark Cloutier and Glen Todd with 20 wins each.
- Glen Todd: 20 wins Mark Cloutier: 20 wins
Christine Ammann: 16 wins
Barbara Heads: 15 wins
Steve Henson: 12 wins
Dino Condilenios: 12 wins
Craig MacPherson: 10 wins
Robert Maybin: 8 wins
Milton Palma: 7 wins
Keith Pedersen: 7 wins
Mary-Anne Baumgartner: 7 wins
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