Hastings Racecourse was hot on Sunday. Pedro Alvarado won three races. Keishan Balgobin rode a double. The 22-year-old sire Stephanotis showed everyone he was still hot, siring two winners. SenorRojo scorched an Allowance type field on his way to a daylight win. And the racing fans that came out were blazing under the sun.
Senor Rojo: Nine Is The New Five
The best horses on the day ran in the second, an Allowance Optional Claiming event at 1 1/16 miles for older horses and it was won by the oldest horse, Senor Rojo ($7.10), who at age 9 still knows what to do and can still do it. Stepupforthemoney closed from last to be second, although 4 lengths behind the winner, and Laguna Blaze trooped along in an even but non-threatening effort to be third.
Senor Rojo won his first career start in July of 2008 in a Maiden Special Weight with Felipe Valdez up. His next win came in June of 2009 and Richard Hamel rode him. In their careers, the two have been together 25 times and won 9. They have been one-two-three in 15 of their 25 starts. Senor Rojo has won 4 stakes in his career, including the Grade 3 Premier’s in 2010, and the Speed to Spare twice at Northlands. He has placed in 17 other stakes. Now he has won or placed in 41 of 57 starts and earned $450,000. He is a commendable racehorse and on Sunday, he was a formidable one.
Hamel settled him on the rail early and sat there in fourth for a long time while Go for Guinness and Tracker were frying themselves on the front end. Tracker shook off Go for Guinness after a fast half in 46.61. Tracker opened up three part way around the final turn, but Hamel had started to ride hard with a quarter-mile to go and he got to Tracker on the turn and when they straightened to come home he was by and gone. He widened to four lengths clear at the finish with Laguna Beach almost another length back in third.
It is true that Senor Rojo got a fast pace to run at. It is true that he was the beneficiary of a perfect ride from Richard Hamel. It is also true that Senor Rojo was feeling good today (maybe old bones and muscles like the heat) and some of the Senor Rojo that won 4 stakes came out in the warmth to demonstrate to his juniors that intrinsically he is just a lot better than they are.
Senor Rojo is a Kentucky bred son of Cox’s Ridge who sold for $32,000 at Keeneland in September of 2007. He is owned by Tres Hombres, George Gilbert and Cameron Hill Mortgages, Ltd. David Forster trains the horse and has always done so.
Cyclone Cindy Storms By After A Slow Beginning
Two-year-old fillies valued at $25,000 went six furlongs in the sixth and Cyclone Cindy ($9.40), despite hesitating for a beat when the gates opened, went fastest with jockey Keishan Balgobin aboard to eventually wear down the pace-setting It’s a Factum and move out to a length-plus win. Chestnut’s Gold closed well to be third after running unevenly early. The winner took 1:14.63 to negotiate the distance.
Despite being away late, Cyclone Cindy was threatening to run over horses going around the first turn and things got a little lose for a while. When she got clear running going down the backside she started moving past horses. Going into the second turn, only it’s a Factum was in front of her.
Still, Cyclone Cindy did not get to the lead until somewhere around the big screen television. Balgobin earned his 10%. He had to ride hard the last part to get her there, and the first 3/8ths of a mile offered some opportunities for things to go wrong. But in the end, Cyclone Cindy was too good to be denied.
Cyclone Cindy was bred in British Columbia by Jim Alendal and he, along with Anne Alendal and Philip Hall, owns her. Philip Hall trains and this was his second winner of the day. The winner is by Stephanotis out of a Delineator mare.
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