Academic will try to school males in British Columbia Derby

VANCOUVER, British Columbia – Academic will try to become the first filly to win the Grade 3, $250,000 British Columbia Derby since Ali Miss won the richest race in western Canada in 1956. It was the second straight year a filly beat males in the Derby. In 1955, My Ladylove earned $2,600 for her win going 1 1/4 miles. The race has been contested over 1 1/8 miles since 1965.

With wins in the $500,800 Woodbine Oaks and the Grade 3, $200,000 Canadian Derby at Northlands Park, Academic might have already locked up the Sovereign Award as the top 3-year-old filly in Canada. A win in the B.C. Derby on Sept. 13 would put her in the conversation for Canadian Horse of the Year.

Trained by Tim Rycroft, she arrived at Hastings on Tuesday evening and seemed to be settled in nicely in trainer Dino Condilenios’s shed row Wednesday morning.

Academic supposedly has a few quirks to her, but according to her groom, Fay Grant, she is a very easy horse to be around.

“Once you get to know her and figure her out, she’s the best thing ever,” said Grant. “She’s a real sweetheart. She handled the trip just fine.”

Academic’s exercise rider, Gonzalo Anderson, agreed with Grant.

“She just doesn’t like to hear stuff that is going on around her, so [she] wears earmuffs,” said Anderson. “Otherwise, she’s fine.”

Prior to her impressive eight-length win in the 1 3/8-mile Canadian Derby, she was eased in the $1,002,000 Queen’s Plate.

“She got a bit spooked by an airplane that was circling the track, and she just never settled,” said jockey Justin Stein.

In her two wins prior to the Canadian Derby, she led right from the start. After the debacle in the Queen’s Plate, it was easy to get the impression that she was one-dimensional. She proved otherwise in the Canadian Derby, however. She looked completely relaxed sitting behind Blue Dancer for a mile before blowing the field away.

Rycroft was confident going into the Canadian Derby that she could rate. He took over her training after the Queen’s Plate when she was partially sold by Danny Dion of Bear Stables to Riversedge Racing Stables.

“I worked her behind horses at Northlands, and it didn’t bother her at all,” said Rycroft.

Her ability to rate will serve her well in the B.C. Derby, where there figures to be a fast and contested pace.

Rycroft sent her out for an easy five-furlong work at Northlands in 1:04.40 last Saturday and was planning on letting her roll a bit more when she works at Hastings this weekend.

“She’s doing great, and coming off her race in the Canadian Derby, she’s obviously fit,” said Rycroft. “I just wanted to give her a little maintenance work at Northlands.”

Rycroft also will be running Hero’s Amor and Some Gave All in the $100,000 British Columbia Oaks. The 1 1/8-mile race will be part of the Derby undercard.

Hero’s Amor is coming off a 5 1/4-length romp in the $50,000 Sonoma Handicap, which was run on the same day as the Canadian Derby. Some Gave All finished third in the 1 1/16-mile race.

Not running in the B.C. Oaks is Quatre Cat. Instead, she will be the heavy favorite to win the restricted CTHS Sales Stakes this Monday.

Trained by Sylvea Gregory, Quatre Cat is coming off a sharp win over Sailingforthesun in the B.C. Cup Dogwood Handicap on Aug. 3.

“She’s been such a nice horse for us, so we’re going to let her run in the easier spot,” said Gregory. “It will probably be her last race here, and then we might try her on turf.”

◗ With four stakes on Monday and another four on Derby Day, it wasn’t surprising that Friday’s seven-race card came up a bit weak.

Making it interesting is a $28,468 carryover in the Sea to Sky Pick 6 that begins on the second race.