Favorites take three of four C.T.H.S. Sales Stakes at Hastings

Monday night at Hastings saw four divisions of the C.T.H.S. Sales Stakes, each with a purse of $50,000 and restricted to runners who passed through various Thoroughbred sales in Canada. Short-priced horses mainly ruled in the stakes on a rare card of racing at Hastings which went on well after dark.

The evening commenced with 2-year-old geldings racing 6 1/2 furlongs with a field of four exiting the same race on B.C. Cup Day on Aug. 7. The B.C. Cup Nursery Stakes saw a close finish and thus Monday's two favorites didn't have much between them in the win pool. The four participants finished in the same order from the B.C. Cup Nursery with August Rain prevailing by 1 3/4 lengths and paying $3.90 to win. A $1 trifecta returned $2.45.

The winner races for Peter Redekop BC Ltd and is trained by Barbara Heads. Diocles came from the back to be a non-threatening runner-up though he was 8 1/4 lengths clear of third-place Pisco. Antonio Perez guided the winner over 6 1/2 furlongs on a fast strip in 1:17.90.

The second race on the evening was for juvenile fillies and was won by heavily favored Lizzie's Rayne, who waged a spirited battle for the early lead and eventually drew clear of her rivals to score by 2 1/4 lengths over the runner-up, February. It was another 2 3/4 lengths back to third place Donna Wyn.

Lizzie's Rayne is trained by David Milburn and Perez won his second stakes in the second race on the card. In the field of five, just a pair had prior race experience and it showed at the opening bell when a pair of first-time starters both hesitated significantly before leaving the gate well behind the field. The winner ran 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:19.31.

The only upset among the evening's four stakes took place in the fourth race on the card, for 3- and 4-year-old fillies, when Arundel Castle stalked the early pace set by Licorice and then took over and prevailed by a neck in a stiff drive. Ridden by Antonio Reyes, Arundel Castle ran 1 1/16 miles in 1:46.15 and returned $15.30 to her backers.

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Trained by Keith Pedersen, Arundel Castle raced for Lyle and Mark Johnson and Clive Harding.

Matsqui was the runner-up with early pacesetter Licorice clearly third over 6-5 favorite Shamra, who checked in fourth.

The final stakes on Monday night's card was for 3- and 4-year-old sales graduates over 1 1/16 miles and was taken by 1-5 favorite Just Jimmy with Fraser Aebly in the irons. Just Jimmy and Rockcliffe opened up a clear margin on their three rivals with Just Jimmy eventually asserting himself, going three lengths clear at the wire. Wisely Played finished well to be second, a neck in front of Rockcliffe, who tired from his pace duties to hold third.

Craig MacPherson trains the winner, who paid $2.60, for Donald Tetarenko.

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