Hastings Handicapper
Brian McGregor-Foxcroft

22/ 08/ 99 Vancouver  August has been a sensational month for B.C. bred horses, owners and trainers. Sunday, August 15^th was a particularly good day for racing, when Black Canyon Thoroughbreds’ Colors Of The Wolf won the $35,000, 6 ½ furlong Mr. Prime Minister at Hastings Park. This was followed by another of their horses, Free Vacation, winning the $325,000, 1 ½ mile turf run at Woodbine. On that same day James Redekop’s Ryson made one of the best runs I’ve seen in a long time. When Ryson left the starting gate in the $50,000, 6 ½ furlong PNE Speed Handicap, he quickly became the early trailer, falling eight to ten lengths from the lead, and he stayed there until jockey Dave Wilson opened him up on the outside coming around the far turn to nip Bridgeport at the wire. It was Wilson’s second stakes win for the day, and he rode four of the winners in the nine race live card. In addition to the above, the 5^th Race of the day offered Hastings Park’s new Superfecta, which paid out $39,752.70, with Dave Wilson again riding the winning horse, Burgular.

B.C. horses continue to do well south of the border. In one of the most important races in the Pacific Northwest, the $250,000 Longacres Mile, run on August 22, at Emerald Downs, local owner Jeff Sengara’s Budroyale won, with two other local horses, Mike K and Kid Katabatic coming second and third respectively. Budroyale stands fifth in the National Thoroughbred Racing Association’s list. A respectable representation of B.C. horses are currently running in Washington State and California, and are holding their own. This says a very great deal about the caliber of thoroughbreds being bred in this province.

The litany of injured horses continues to grow. Two particular favorites of mine, Free House and Victory Gallop have been sidelined by injuries that have terminated their racing careers. Both will stand at stud, probably in Kentucky. Victory Gallop developed a cough after the Whitney Handicap, at Saratoga, and while laid up, trainer Elliot Walden discovered the horse had a torn ligament in his left foreleg, and decided it was too risky to continue racing him. Victory Gallop has life earnings of over three million dollars. Riders have also not gone unscathed this season. The tragic death of Woodbine’s Mickey Walls’ sister, Nichola Marie Walls  this month (also a rider at Woodbine) cast a dark shadow over the racing season. More fortunate, but suffering physical financial loss this season at Hastings Park, is Larry Lacoursiere, who suffered a serious shoulder injury after a racing accident in July. It is reported that he will be out for the remainder of the season.

Earlier this month the Canadian Thoroughbred Society (B.C. Division) held its Summer Yearling Sale at Milner Downs. It was far less successful than organizers had hoped, with only about half of the consignments being sold for a total of $569,400 – down by half a million dollars from last year. The average sale price was $10,950 per horse, with the highest price paid for a Katahaula County colt sold to 505 Farms for $88,000. And while it was a buyer’s market for local purchasers, it was bad news for the industry in B.C. In contrast to this, the sales south of the border went much better, with the famous Keeneland Sale setting record prices. For example, a Storm Cat colt sold for a whopping $3,000,000, while a Gone West colt at the same sale sold for $2,500,000. Clearly, it is not the back-breeding of our stock that makes them less attractive to prospective purchasers, for it would be hard to fault the progeny of Free At Last, Katahaula County, Bold Laddie, or Feu d’Enfer (to name but a few); all of these sires have produced stakes level youngsters currently racing on tracks across Canada. Rather this situation is a symptom of a local industry which requires a new level of dedication by everybody involved in it, including owners, trainers, racing officials, and, in particular, the provincial government.

Next month local racing fans will have the $200,000  B.C. Derby to look forward to. This is the biggest single purse to be paid out at Hastings Park and draws the best of the best to the starting gate. Also worth marking on your calendars will be the Breeder’s Cup Classic to be held this year at Gulfstream Park, Florida, on November 6^th. This is the most thrilling racing day of the entire year, and it offers fans the chance to watch and wager on the very best thoroughbreds from around the world.

As a final note, horse enthusiasts have the opportunity to visit and enjoy the PNE's various equine events at the Agridome (right across the street from Hastings Park Racecourse) from August 6^th to September 6^th.

Until my next page, good luck and good racing to you all!