Hastings Handicapper

Brian McGregor-Foxcroft

 

10/ 06/ 00 – Vancouver: I could entitle this column, “What I Did On My Summer Holiday,” or “Why I Love The Race Track.” Most of you who attend a race track on a regular basis already know that it’s a unique world, a world unto itself. Yet so many different worlds meet there. People from diverse backgrounds, lawyers, doctors, professors, accountants, office workers, blue collar people, street people, ad infinitum, all turn up for race days. It is probably the only venue in our society where such a diverse group of people can come together and feel completely at home. Because, regardless of who you are, or what you do, you are there for the same reason as everybody else, to try and pick the likely winners. There is always a kind of carnival feeling underlying each race day. People are excited, full of hopes and expectations. It’s a live sporting event that you can be a part of for only a few dollars per race. And when victory comes, it’s a victory for the handicappers as well as for the owners and trainers. Horse racing gets into your blood (it got into mine a very long time ago) and never leaves you, even if you leave it for awhile, as I did. And everybody has a system. Some people play the jockeys, others play the odds, still others play the trainers and the horses. In fact, there are more betting angles than can you count. The point is, anyone can become a first class handicapper; you don’t need a post secondary degree to play. And I think that’s what I like most about the race track, there’s a place for everybody, regardless of who you are or where you come from. Perhaps this is why I feel so much at home when I’m at the track.

 

Speaking of old home week, imagine my surprise when I opened a recent copy of The Daily Racing Form, and saw a picture of Humberto Gomez galloping Belmont Stakes favorite Aptitude for Bobby Frankel of California. Gomez was our barn’s main jockey last year at Hastings Park, and you folks up country will remember him riding in Kamloops prior to that. Gomez, who was having trouble making weight, hung up his silks, and headed south to California, where he is obviously doing well for himself as an exercise rider at Santa Anita and Hollywood Park. Bobby Frankel is one of the leading trainers in California.

 

This week saw the opening of Wednesday night racing at Hastings Park. Greg MacDonald, Director of Racing, is to be commended for putting together a stellar live card. The general quality of racing this year is better by far than last year’s, but fans were pleasantly surprised by such a good mid-week card. An example of this was seen in the 4^th race, where an impressive lineup of stakes level fillies and mares came together for the $16,000, 6 ½ furlong race. All the big money was on Bamboo Memory, but it was My Admiration, ridden by Ben Russell, who got up for the win, with Wild Rose County, and Hoping For Fun, picking up second and third money. The second race of the evening was also spectacular, when two first starters, Touch By Time and Aldergroovy (a horse I’ve mentioned before) battled it out gate to wire, coming first and second respectively and paying out a whopping $654.50 on the exacta, and $5,782.60 on the trifecta. Keep an eye on these two, because we haven’t heard the last of either of them. In the fifth race Quick To Sin stormed out of the gate to take a three length lead and hold it for 6 ½ furlongs without any sign of tiring. Bobbie’s Target came up for the place, and is another horse you can expect to improve. And in the sixth race Fleet Alberta stepped up in class and won handily at 3-1.

 

Friday produced some nice pay outs, starting with Heffley Creek, in the first race, who paid out $18.80 on the win. The sixth race trifecta paid $2,869.20, when Receiver General led the field home to pay $27.20/ $11.00/ $5.90. Devil Will Do Ya came second, and Deputy Spirit came up for third. Watch Deputy Spirit, who is beginning to come in hand and should perform even better next out. In the seventh race JV Bennett , one of my favorites, got up for the win, with Winitall coming second.

 

Like Friday, Saturday’s racing went off under gray, wet skies. But in spite of the sloppy track, favorites took the day. The big event on the card was The Liberation Handicap, which went off as the 7^th race. Make Contact, trained by David Forster was the heavy favorite and led the field home. Bamboo Queen and Grey Tobe Free came up for second and third. Saturday also saw the running of The Canadian Oaks at Woodbine, in which Catch The Ring swept home to capture most of the $500,000 purse. Mountain Angel, who was the second part of the winning entry, came up for second, with an excellent run by Forest Princess, a maiden allowance runner, coming up for third money.

 

The wet, cold weather greeted us on Sunday, as we settled in to watch the Hastings’ live card. A big run was put in by Kalua Kat, in the 2^nd race. Initially listed as a probable favorite on the morning line, the odds kept lengthening on her. Kalua Kat won, paying $29.10/ $6.80/ $5.20. And in the very next race, an Alfaari filly named Teeyah made a sweeping run, paying out $48.70/ $15.00/ $7.30. Stern’s Magic came second, paying out $15.50/ $6.80, and the trifecta paid $1,474.20. Two feature races were run on Sunday, The John Longden, in which Yaletown bested Victorius Type and Mark My Dreams. Digital Dan, the heavy favorite in the field, managed a fourth place finish. The final race of the day was The Ascot Sophomore Purse, which was won by King Jeremy, with Astral Thunder and Daring Dennis coming second and third.

 

Before closing my column for this week, I would like to extend my special thanks to Mr. Simon Cheng for his continued help in making it possible for me to get Hastings Handicapper online each week.