Sunday afternoon was alright for racing and the fans assembled at Historic Old Hastings Racecourse seemed to have a fine time. Almost 700K was wagered on the card that was run over a fast track that was kind to speed even if it did not outright favour it. Favourites won half of the eight races offered on a day that also saw the longest-priced winner of the year light up the board at 55-1.
Individual honours went to jockeys Amadeo Perez who won three and Ruben Lara whose double included the monster payoff produced in the last by a horse that had not run since October of 2014 for a trainer who was four years and 41 starts between wins. A noted English philosopher once observed that while you can’t always get what you want, sometimes you get what you need.
Snuggles
The Emerald Downs Handicap, a weighted event for three-year-old fillies, was won by high-weight Snuggles ($4.20) with a late surge that did not get her past the pace-setting Colleen’s Diamond until they were well inside the sixteenth pole but had her a length-and-a-half clear by the time they hit the wire. Colleen’s Diamond held on to second by a nose over McDove who closed along the rail. Final time for the 6 ½ furlongs was 1:17.39.
Colleen’s Diamond went to the lead early and did not give it up until late in the proceedings despite being pestered, but not passed, by Omi, one of a bevy of Swift Thoroughbred entrants, who eventually gave up and left it to Snuggles and rider Rico Walcott to carry the Swift colours forward.