Alert Bay, Koffee Grinder will get rematch in Premiers

VANCOUVER, British Columbia – Alert Bay came out of his win in the Grade 3, $150,000 British Columbia Derby in excellent shape and will remain at Hastings to run in the Grade 3, $100,000 Premiers on Oct. 13, according to trainer Anita Bolton.

Alert Bay gave owner Peter Redekop his third straight win and his fourth overall in the most prestigious race at Hastings. Redekop was initially thinking of sending Alert Bay back to California, where he was based with trainer Blaine Wright.

“I guess Mr. Redekop thought it over and decided to keep him here for the Premiers,” said Bolton. “The fact that he ran faster than the older horses in the Randall probably had something to do with it.”

Alert Bay received an 89 Beyer Speed Figure for going 1 1/8 miles in 1:49.12. Mr. Bowling posted a final time of 1:50.06 in the S.W. Randall Plate and received an 80 Beyer.

It was a career-best Beyer for Alert Bay, who has compiled an impressive 4-4-1 record in 10 starts for earnings of $325,800. The only time he’s finished worse than third was in the $201,000 Real Good Deal at Del Mar, where he hesitated at the start and was basically eliminated when horses on both sides of him slammed into him.

Bolton spent a lot of time schooling Alert Bay at the starting gate at Hastings, and he was the first leaving there with Rico Walcott aboard in the Derby.

“We were pretty happy when he broke on top,” said Bolton. “We knew he was a nice horse, and we thought if Rico could get him into a good position early, he was going to be tough to beat.”

Alert Bay will not only be tackling older horses in the Premiers but will be going the marathon distance of 1 3/8 miles.

“I don’t see why he won’t go that far,” said Bolton. “He certainly trains like he can run all day, and Rico said he had a lot of horse at the finish. He seems to love it here, and we’re pretty excited Mr. Redekop decided to keep him here.”

Trainer Craig MacPherson was disappointed in Koffee Grinder’s second-place finish in the Derby with Richard Hamel aboard. MacPherson and Hamel were both surprised when Koffee Grinder dropped back to eighth in the 10-horse field. Koffee Grinder made his usual strong, late move, but he never threatened the winner.

“He needed to be within three or four lengths of Alert Bay at all points of the journey,” said MacPherson. “He never really got a chance to make a race of it.”

“I don’t know why, but when I asked him to get into the race coming out of the gate, he pinned his ears and just wasn’t interested,” said Hamel. “It was just too late by the time he got rolling.”

MacPherson said Koffee Grinder would take another shot at Alert Bay in the Premiers.