Jockey AMADEO PEREZ won his second straight title at Hastings Racecourse as the Vancouver track wrapped up the 2023 season on Oct. 15. Perez won an impressive 95 races through just 45 racing dates. It is his 6th title at Hastings since 2012.
Perez, second only to Woodbine jockey Kazushi Kimura (108 wins) currently on the list of Canadian riders, had 50 more wins than runner-up Silvino Morales. The top apprentice was Fraser Aebly who had 29 wins.
BARBARA HEADS won her second training title as she saddled 37 winners from 138 starters and the earners of over $552,000. Heads is just seven wins away from 700 career winners. Steve Henson was second on the trainer list with 28 winners.
DAIREN EDWARDS’ WILLOW CREEK FARM led all owners by purse winnings and tied for first by wins at 16 with ROB AND SHEENA MAYBIN.
Willow Creek’s starters earned $237,154 just ahead of WYN Racing Stables which collected $196,969.
BELLAROO was the winningest horse at the meeting with five victories from nine starts. The Kentucky bred five-year-old by Successful Appeal won two of these for Rob and Sheena Maybin and three for current owner Jordan Froelich and trainer Dino Condilenios. Bellaroo was claimed for $6,250 by Froelich in June.
The $75,000 Glen Todd Ascot Graduation for two-year-olds at a mile and a sixteenth in the slop on Oct. 14 was one of two final stakes races of the meeting and getting to the wire first was Peter Redekop’s AUGUST RAIN ($5.00) who, after an unfortunate trip in the Futurity, bounced back to his brilliant best, winning in a quick 1:44.40 under Amadeo Perez for trainer Barbara Heads. The BC-bred son of Sungold – Bitatude by Super Saver sat most of the trip in the three-path and, with the blinkers being removed for the race, he relaxed kindly behind a moderate pace (23.81, 47.84 and 1:12.92) before sprinting home when asked and drawing clear for the victory. Canyon Farm’s VECTOR saved every inch of ground on the inside with Antonio Reyes aboard, then angled out on the final turn before running on strongly to the wire and was well clear of the field in the second spot for conditioner Craig MacPherson. Wil-a-Way Farms, Gail Jewsbury and Pat Jarvis’ DIOCLES was far back off the early pace and flew home late to get into the third spot.
August Rain is now three-for-five in his career, having also won the BC Cup Nursery Stakes and CTHS Sales Stakes. A homebred, he has earned $73,844.
The $75,000 Glen Todd Fantasy for two-year-old fillies going a mile and a sixteenth went to Don and Sue Danard’s BROOKE MAGIC ($14.40), who was given a textbook ride by Brian Boodramsingh, positioned just behind the speed and, when the rail opened turning for home, she shot through for a big win in 1:45.76 for trainer Mel Snow. The filly is a daughter of Honor Code – Curlin’s Prize by Curlin and this was her second career race and first win. Renfrew Racing, B and B Racing, Breen Racing, Eugene Chan and Dave Milburn’s LIZZIE’S RAYNE was given every chance by Amadeo Perez, sitting on the lead through comfortable splits of 23.82, 48.16 and 1:13.99 and won the battle for second by a nose for trainer Dave Milburn. Russ and Lois Bennett’s VIVA LA DIVA set the pace from the rail under Antonio Reyes, but drifted at the top of the stretch, allowing the winner to get through and then lost a tight photo for second.
Bred by Prescott Farms, Brooke Magic was purchased by the Danards for $22,866 at the BC CTHS yearling and mixed sale last year.
Trainer Mel Snow with Brooke Magic, the Honor Code filly who won the Glen Todd Fantasy Stakes on Oct. 14. (Patti Tubbs photo)
-with files from Nigel Reid and Mike Heads
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