Calgary Caper rallies to B.C. Cup Classic victory

VANCOUVER, British Columbia – Calgary Caper rallied from well back to win the $50,000 B.C. Cup Classic on Monday at Hastings. He paid $6.20 for his 3 1/4-length victory over Coulterberry in the 1 1/8-mile race for 3-year-olds and up.

A deep closer, Calgary Caper could not have been set up any better. With Absolutely Stylish and Hansen’s Victory dueling through sprint-like interior fractions of 22.78 seconds and 46.00, jockey Sahin Civaci had Calgary Caper well in hand early. He started to make his presence known just past the three-eighths pole, and he was in full flight while making a strong four-wide move on the stretch turn. He opened up a clear lead at the top of the stretch and was never threatened by Coulterberry, who looked like a threat on the stretch turn, but hung late. Don’t Hold Me Back finished third.

“I knew they were going pretty fast early, and when they were getting tired at the three-eighths pole I had a lot of horse under me,” Civaci said. “I just kept him in the clear, and he had a good run.”

The Kentucky-bred son of El Corredor is trained by Phil Hall. Hall owns him in partnership with Kim Peacock and Lance Giesbrecht.

Peacock dedicated the win to her father, Cecil Peacock, who died last week.

It was a big day for jockey Antonio Reyes who won five races, including three of the six $50,000 stakes.

His most important win came in the Sir Winston Churchill Derby Trial aboard Day Raider who paid $18.50.

Similar to the Classic, Day Raider feasted on a fast pace and won the 1 1/16-mile race by 1 1/4 lengths over longshot El Noble. Heavily favored Apalachee Bay held on to finish third after dueling with He’s the Reason through a quick half-mile in 46.62.

Day Raider is trained by Craig MacPherson who said the Kentucky-bred son of New Year’s Day could make his next start in the Grade 3, $150,000 Canadian Derby on Aug. 25 at Northlands Park.

“He seems like a horse that will go a mile and three-eighths,” MacPherson said.

Day Raider is owned by Wally and Terry Leong of Canyon Farms.

Here’s Hannah started the stakes festival off with a dominating four-length, front-running win over Seventimes Seventy in the Hong Kong Jockey Club. Ridden by Richard Hamel, she paid $4.50.

Trained by John Morrison, the British Columbia-bred daughter of Numaany posted a final time of 1:45.51 in the 1 1/16-mile race for 3-year-old fillies.

It was Hamel again aboard Notis the Jewel in the 1 1/16-mile Distaff for fillies and mares. He brought the 5-year-old British Columbia.-bred daughter of Stephanotis from last to win going away over Good Luck to You. She paid $9.40. The winning margin was three lengths, and the final time was 1:45.04.

First-time starter Dancin Shoes paid $81.10 for her shocking four-length win in the Debutante. The homebred daughter of Cross Traffic owned by David and Delaurlyn Pihl came from a stalking position to win the 6 1/2-furlong dash for 2-year-old fillies. Heavily favored Billie finished second.

Trained by Barbara Heads and ridden by Reyes, Dancin Shoes posted a snappy final time of 1:17.89.

Wearing blinkers for the first time, Ring of Kerry broke sharply with Reyes aboard, and despite setting wicked fractions under pressure, he kept rolling to win the $50,000 Nursery for 2-year-olds. He paid $26.20. The final time was 1:18.89.

The Kentucky-bred son of Flatter is trained by Phil Hall for owner George Gilbert. The runner-up, Irish Charlie, also is trained by Hall for Gilbert. The Hall-Gilbert exacta paid $154.30.