Calgary Caper, Square Dancer face off in Randall Plate
VANCOUVER, British Columbia – Is Calgary Caper the Square Dancer of last year? We will know more about that after they meet in the $75,000 S.W. Randall Plate at Hastings on Saturday. The 1 1/8-mile race for 3-year-olds and up drew eight horses and, along with the $75,000 Delta Colleen for fillies and mares, is part of the richest card in the Pacific Northwest; it includes the Grade 3, $150,000 British Columbia Derby and $100,000 British Columbia Oaks.
Square Dancer was just a claimer at Emerald Downs until he arrived at Hastings last year and was transformed into a stakes winner by trainer Steve Henson. By virtue of wins on in the $100,000 Redekop Classic and the Randall Plate, plus a runner-up finish in the Grade 3 Premier’s, he was named the local Horse of the Year at the annual awards dinner.
Calgary Caper’s only win in 2015 at Northlands Park was in a $12,500 claiming race going 6 1/2 furlongs. Under trainer Phil Hall at Hastings this year, he has won twice and was the runner-up three times in five starts. In his last race, he trailed the field early before finishing with a rush to win the $75,000 Pacific Customs Brokers Classic while going 1 1/8 miles for the first time.
“Maybe he just likes it here,” Hall said. “He is doing really well right now, so I expect him to run another good race.”
There should be a fast and possibly contested pace, so it should set up for the son of El Corredor and Square Dancer, who also does his best running late.
Calgary Caper drew the rail, with Amadeo Perez retaining the mount.
Square Dancer, winless this year, showed signs of resurgence with a fast-closing second-place finish in the Pacific Customs Brokers Classic.
Killin Me Smalls, trained by Ernie Keller, won the 2015 Premier’s the last time he ran at Hastings, and he is coming into the Randall Plate off back-to-back stakes wins at Northlands. Expect him to be sitting just off Modern, who will be the one they have to run down.
◗ The 1 1/8-mile Delta Colleen features the return of Hero’s Amor, who is coming off wins in the $51,000 Madamoiselle and $75,000 City of Edmonton at Northlands Park. In her only start at Hastings, she won the B.C. Oaks for trainer Tim Rycroft last year.
With two-time Grade 3 Ballerina winner Touching Promise and Arabella’s Muse, who has won seven stakes races, in the field, the Delta Colleen will be a serious test of class for the daughter of Street Hero.
“I know she is facing a lot tougher horses here than she was at Northlands,” Rycroft said. “She won her last two races pretty easily, though, and after her last win, she certainly deserves some respect.”
Rico Walcott retains the mount.
