In just his fourth year as a trainer, EDGAR MENDOZA won the most races of any conditioner through the 2022 season at Hastings Racecourse in Vancouver, British Columbia. Mendoza, who came from Mexico to Canada in 2006, won 38 races, edging veteran conditioner Barbara Heads who had 37.
The final racing day at Hastings 2022. (courtesy Denise Praill)
Mendoza, who only started a handful of horses in 2019 and 2020, won 6 races from 19 starts in 2021 before building up a much larger stable for 2022 which included horses for the powerful Tod Mountain Thoroughbreds and James Redekop team.
The young trainer’s stars of 2022 included multiple stakes winners U Did It and Porter Gent plus the promising 2-year-old LEGACY SQUARE.
However, Legacy Square, a son of Lent and a 3-time stakes winner in 2022, could not win his season finale in Saturday’s $50,000 Ascot Graduation Stakes at 1 1/16 miles. Legacy Square and jockey Efrain Hernandez could not get past Nick and Pauline Felicella’s SUNBIRD ($13.10), who set a sensible early pace of 24.13, 48.04 and 1:13.12 which allowed him to have another gear left in the tank.
Trained by Terry Jordan and ridden by leading jockey Amadeo Perez, Sunbird, a Kentucky-bred by Orb, won by a neck in a time of 1:45.13.
Sunbird, bred by the late Glen Todd, is the last horse of Nick Felicella, 91, and Pauline, 86.
Also on Saturday was the $50,000 Fantasy Stakes for 2-year-old fillies at 1 1/16 miles. Winning impressively was Rob and Sheena Maybin’s NEIGHNEIGH ($5.70), who was aggressive early and set a lively pace of 23.64, 47.25 and 1:13.15 before drawing away to hold a big lead turning for home and easily hold her advantage to the wire in 1:46.76 under Silvino Morales for conditioner Rob Maybin.
With the victory by Neighneigh, a Kentucky-bred by Cross Traffic, the Myabins won the owner title 16 to 15 over Tod Mountain Thoroughbreds.
Neighneigh was purchased as a yearling by Todd and sold by his Hole in the Wall syndicate for $11,000 at the CTHS Horses of All Ages Sale earlier this year.
TRAINERS:
Edgar Mendoza – 38
Barbara Heads – 37
Mark Cloutier – 24
Steve Henson – 24
OWNERS
Rob and Sheena Maybin – 16
Tod Mountain Thoroughbreds – 15
Willow Creek Farms – 14
JOCKEYS
Amadeo Perez – 73
Antonio Reyes – 57
Silvino Morales – 38
Efrain Hernandez – 35
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