Condilenios has contenders in both divisions of Diamond Futurity
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According to trainer Dino Condilenios, when Jordan Froelich began buying racehorses, his mom was not impressed.
Froelich’s mother’s name was Karen, so when he purchased a filly at the 2024 Canadian Thoroughbred Horse Society’s yearling and mixed sale, he named her – what else? – Karensnotimpressed.
Well, maybe she should be at this point. In two career starts, the 2-year-old maiden has been stakes-placed twice – once while taking on males in her debut. On Saturday at Hastings, Karensnotimpressed will try to break through with a win in the $75,000 Sadie Diamond Futurity, a stakes for British Columbia-bred or -sired juvenile fillies that will be contested at 6 1/2 furlongs. The card also includes the $75,000 Jack Diamond Futurity for colts and geldings at the same distance.
Karensnotimpressed’s precociousness from the gate surprised Condilenios.
“She’s one of them fillies, she just used to be scared of everything. She was just very green and overreactive,” Condilenios said. “I didn’t think she’d get to the races as early as she did, but every time you do something with her, she gets better and better.
“She’s all business now. Even when I worked her an easy half, she looked like a bear. So she seems to be getting better and figuring it out, getting bigger and stronger and more focused. She’s one of them ones who won’t make a mistake.”
Even if she runs flawlessly, Karensnotimpressed will have a hard time defeating the Barbara Heads-trained favorite Sunny Wishes. In her debut in the Aug. 25 CTHS Stakes for 2-year-old fillies, Sunny Wishes went gate to wire for a three-length win over Karensnotimpressed, who stalked in second throughout and couldn’t pass her rival.
What a Force, another of the Sadie Diamond’s four entrants, was fourth and last in that Aug. 25 race, 27 1/2 lengths behind Sunny Wishes. Rounding out the field for race 1 is Charlotte’s Wild, who has cause to improve after finishing fourth last out behind Karensnotimpressed in the Aug. 4 BC Cup Nursery, which marked the debut of both horses.
Jack Diamond Futurity
The Jack Diamond Futurity will be run as race 5 on the eight-race card. Here, Condilenios has the clear-cut favorite in Debrusk, winner of the Aug. 25 CTHS Stakes for 2-year-old males.
Breaking from the rail in that 6 1/2-furlong race, Debrusk took the lead, set modest fractions, and proceeded to obliterate his three rivals in the stretch, defeating runner-up Stormy Lent by 5 3/4 lengths and third-place finisher Charlie’s Prize by 6 1/2.
Stormy Lent and Charlie’s Prize are two of Debrusk’s four rivals in the Jack Diamond, with the other pair, Celosia and Ole’s Surprise, unraced. Condilenios, however, is not one to project overconfidence.
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“He came out of his race in good shape and he’s trained forwardly, he’s happy, he’s eating well,” Condilenios said of Debrusk. “There are a bunch of first-timers, and the ones that ran second or third to him will be tighter and tougher.”
Condilenios also trains Twickenham, who beat Debrusk by 4 1/4 lengths in the BC Cup Nursery and likely would have been favored had he been entered in the Jack Diamond. But Condilenios said the gelding has “been turned out for the year” with “a minor, little injury” and “will be back next year.”
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