The second day of the Hastings season was eerily similar to the first as horses on post parade were once again greeted by only a couple of loyal barn supporters to root them on. A few faint echoes of cheering in the large grandstand could be heard as the horses entered the homestretch which is far cry from usual chaos on a regular race day with patrons attending. It is definitely different times right now but we are still delighted to be part of it all.
The handle was excellent on day two as the $784,297 total was about $280,000 better than the Monday program. The momentum is building and is a good thing.
The day began with the North American Thoroughbred Horse Company’s ZEN BABY grabbing the early lead then was cleverly handled by Efrain Hernandez through comfortable fractions and just managed to hold off a late charge from HONKY TONK WOMAN to win at a tiny 3/5 price which gave the chalk players a great start to the afternoon. The win gave trainer Glen Todd his third visit to the winners circle in the first eight races of the year.
The second race, well….to be kind… was quite an interesting show. In all fairness, many of our horses are over-ready due to the lengthy wait until we were permitted to race so it isn’t a surprise to see numerous horses being anxious and super sharp which can lead to what we saw in the second. For those that missed it, the #1 RED RAPTOR sat down in the gate and was scratched , shortly thereafter #4 RODE TO GALIANO got loose behind the gate and ran around the track three times before being picked up by the outrider. After a short delay, a start seemed imminent…but….as the #10 RACING RIVER was being loaded he then decided to unseat the jockey and also run around the track creating a third delay in the start of the second race but 54 minutes after race one was completed DJANGO UNREINED crossed the finish line first to finally get race 2 into the books. The Canmor Farms and Mark Cloutier runner did everything right in his debut to win at 3-1 odds under Enrique Gonzalez.
The balance of the card was run without incident and Hastings newcomer JAY LOST CONTROL took the third event in wire-to-wire fashion with Efrain Hernandez up for owner Mark Ivy and trainer Steve Henson. The son of Mineshaft closed at 11-1 and put an end to most Pick 5 tickets defeating Jodie Rawson and Edgar Mendoza’s K K GOLD in a very tight photo.
The most exciting performance of the day came from the G.O. Stables AMORCITO who rallied six wide at the head of the lane to run down a very game pacesetter MOUSEY MOUSEY. The Erick Gutierrez student was never in the picture until producing a lethal late kick under Silvino Morales to easily get up in time for the win. Not many were avid supporters of AMORCITO as he paid a healthy $49.40. The early Pick 4 paid an impressive $4,117.95.
The fifth race went to FRANKIE MACHINE as he sat a comfy trip just in behind the speed of CAPTAIN JONES and EZEKIEL then cruised up three deep on the final bend and breezed on by the leaders to win by almost three lengths. He stopped the teletimer in a rapid 1:11.65 which is the fastest time of meet to date for rider Scott Williams and trainer Steve Henson. The $8,000 claim in Phoenix last winter seems to be a great investment for the new owners Willow Creek Farms and Fabio Chiesa. The Sharlea and Pumpkin Stables, Rocking Bar B Outfit and Gary Johnson’s CAPTAIN JONES was a game runner-up after battling on the pace throughout.
The feature race of the day was in race six and eight talented fillies put on a great show. When the gates sprung both FLORAL and MISS PROSPECTOR went on a mission to get the early lead through fractions of 22.26 and 45.34 and this played out perfectly for the back runners. The tempo was slowing noticeably approaching the stretch and it was still anyones race to win and that is when the Hastings Racing Club ll’s WARRIOR’S PROMISE (10.70 to win) weaved her way through the field under a brilliant ride by Enrique Gonzalez to get up and claim victory for conditioner Patty Leaney. Russ and Lois Bennett’s CHA CHING also rallied smartly but fell victim to a wide final turn which likely cost her any chance of winning. Both BUTTERSCOTCH BLEND and DANCING SHOES turned in admirable performances but were compromised by tough trips. The final time was 1:11.88.
Jim Galbraith, Gord Christoff, Ryan and Ron Basran’s FOURTOWIN (11.60) took full advantage of a pace- less race and scooted out of the gate on top and never looked back. The daughter of Cause to Believe got a slow opening half in 47.61 and the John Snow trainee drew off for the victory giving Silvino Morales his second win on the day. Praven Sorensen’s BAMBOO ELEVEN was a good second after encountering troubles in a few different spots during the race. The late Pick 4 was a difficult one but if you were one of the fortunate ones it returned $4,360 for a 20 cent ticket.
Three riders had doubles Efrain Hernandez, Silvino Morales and Enrique Gonzalez and all are tied with three wins in the jock’s standings. Scott Williams took down the other race. Steve Henson had a training double which gives him a tie with Glen Todd for leading trainer honours with three apiece.
Racing resumes on Monday afternoon with a seven race card that will begin at 1:15 pm and of note there is a $3,594 carryover in the Pick 5.
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