Allowance races bring together several of top horses on the grounds
VANCOUVER, British Columbia – The stars will be out at Hastings this week as the top horses of their respective divisions will square off in four allowance races at the picturesque oval on Monday and Tuesday. Each race carries a $30,000 purse and will be contested at 6 1/2 furlongs.
Three-year-olds are featured Monday, with Be Quick looking like death and taxes in race 2, which drew five colts and geldings.
Heidi is clearly the one to beat in a more competitive race in the fillies division, race 6.
Adding appeal to Monday’s seven-race card, which begins at 5 p.m. Pacific, is a $35,228 carryover in the pick five. The jackpot wager begins in race 3 with no obvious single in the sequence.
Be Quick can be singled in the pick six, which has a modest carryover of $4,689.
Trained by Keith Pedersen, Be Quick is undefeated in three starts. In his first start this year, he showed he was going to be a force to reckon with in the local sophomore division when he beat older horses in an allowance race for nonwinners of two or nonwinners of three British Columbia-breds on May 3.
With Antonio Reyes aboard, he broke sharply, and after dueling through quick interior fractions drew off to win the six-furlong dash by 1 1/2 lengths over Cascade Billy.
A similar result occurred when the Kentucky-bred colt by Bodemeister edged Blueprint by 1 1/4 lengths in an open allowance race on May 25. This time, Be Quick dueled with Blueprint until the final sixteenth before drawing clear in the 6 1/2-furlong race.
Be Quick will break from post 2 with Reyes aboard.
The Dino Condilenios-trained Blueprint will leave from the rail, with Amadeo Perez riding the British Columbia-bred son of Pop Artist for the first time.
Uncharacteristic, trained by Rob VanOverschot, is stepping up in class after finishing second to Sir Bregovic in an $8,000 claimer for nonwinners of three in his first start this year on May 25. The jump does not seem so steep when you consider Sir Bregovic repeated in a nonwinners-of-three allowance race for 3-year-olds and up that carried a top claiming option of $43,500 on June 8.
The 72 Beyer that Uncharacteristic received also is the best last-race figure in the field.
The Condilenios-trained Heidi figures to be favored in the fillies division, which drew six horses. After all, the Kentucky-bred daughter of Bayern is perfect in two starts at Hastings, with her only defeat coming in the $100,000 Glorious Song at Woodbine. She was in the mix for a while in the Glorious Song, but faded to last in the seven-furlong race for 2-year-old fillies on Oct. 17.
In her only start this year, she came from a stalking position to beat Bayakoas Image by a nose going 6 1/2 furlongs in an open allowance race on May 24.
With plenty of potential speed in the field, Heidi should get a similar trip with Perez retaining the mount.
Older horses share the spotlight Tuesday. The fillies and mares division in race 5 marks the return of Here’s Hannah, who has been a champion at Hastings each year she’s raced beginning with her unbeaten season as a juvenile in 2017.
Trained by John Morrison, Here’s Hannah has raced exclusively at Hastings, where she has compiled an enviable 15-2-1 record from 18 starts for earnings of $435,796.
The British Columbia-bred daughter of Numaany missed some training this spring due to a minor injury, and because of the setback, she might not be favored for the first time since she paid $9.40 for her win in the $50,000 Supernaturel on July 2, 2018. It was just the second time in her career she was not the chalk.
Here’s Hannah did signal her readiness with a bullet five-furlong move in 58.60 seconds on June 5.
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However, she likes to be involved early, and with plenty of potential speed in the five-horse field, most notably Miss Prospector, she is going to have to be on her toes to keep up after breaking from the outside post with Perez riding.
If not Here’s Hannah, Princess of Cairo will be favored. The Kentucky-bred daughter of Cairo Prince feasted on a fast and contested pace when she won a similar race May 18. With her stablemate Miss Prospector in the field, the race should set up nicely for her.
Leading rider Efren Hernandez rides Princess of Cairo for owner-trainer Glen Todd.
Five Star General will be a short price for Todd and Hernandez in the boys division. It drew four horses and kicks off the seven-race card.
A Kentucky-bred son of Distorted Humor, Five Star General won the Grade 3 British Columbia Derby in 2019 and was the runner-up in the Grade 3 Longacres Mile at Emerald Downs last year.
In his first start of 2021, he was an impressive winner going 6 1/2 furlongs on May 17 at Hastings.
He drew post 2, and if there is going to be an upset it will likely come from Stay Fantastic, who will break from the rail with Perez riding.
Trained by Christine Ammann, Stay Fantastic was the top older horse at Hastings last year and figures to move forward after finishing third to Five Star General in his first start since he won the $50,000 S.W. Randall Plate on Oct. 1.