Final Jeopardy gets a class break in Lions Gate

VANCOUVER, British Columbia – When Peter Redekop and his nephew James Redekop bought Final Jeopardy following his runner-up finish to Code of Honor in the Grade 3 Dwyer at Belmont Park, they were not expecting this late in the year that he would be eligible for an allowance race for 3-year-olds and up that have not won a stakes race since April 19.

However, he will be favored in the Lions Gate, a 1 1/16-mile race with those conditions at Hastings on Sunday. It goes as race 6 on a seven-race card that begins at 1:50 p.m.

It has been raining all week and the forecast calls for it to continue through the weekend. The eight horses running for a $30,000 purse in the Lions Gate will undoubtedly be running over a wet track.

In his first start for the Redekops and trainer Phil Hall, Final Jeopardy finished third as the favorite in the Grade 3 Canadian Derby at Century Mile on Aug. 18. He ran a similar race in the Grade 3 British Columbia Derby, where he trailed the field early before making a belated move to finish third.

He showed signs of being the horse they were hoping for when he finished second going 1 3/8 miles in the Grade 3, $100,000 Premiers where he faced older horses for the first time. The Kentucky-bred son of Street Sense sat third early, took over the lead on the stretch turn, and held on well to finish behind Brave Nation. Brave Nation is slated to make his next start in the Grade 2, $200,000 Marathon at Santa Anita on Nov. 1.

Hall likes the way Final Jeopardy is coming up to the race.

“I am not sure why, but he was a pretty dull horse in his first two starts for us,” said Hall. “He ran a good race in the Premiers, and he is a lot sharper now. I really liked the way he worked out of the gate last weekend.”

Hall was referring to Final Jeopardy’s five-furlong move in 1:02.80 on Oct. 13.

He will break from the rail with Amadeo Perez up.

The Steve Henson-trained Don’t Hold Me Back is on a roll and could be dangerous from a forward position with Richard Hamel riding. With Hamel aboard Don’t Hold Me Back won back-to-back $25,000 claimers going 1 1/16 miles on Sept. 7 and Sept 29.

A 7-year-old Kentucky-bred, Don’t Hold Me Back drew post 4, has good tactical speed, and should get a nice trip from a forward position.

A nine-time winner with $216,465 in earnings, Don’t Hold Me Back won the 2016 $50,000 S. W. Randall Plate, so he has back class to call on if needed.

Fillies and mares run for the same conditions in the $30,000 Autumn Leaves in race 5 on Sunday.

With plenty of potential speed in the seven-horse field, it could set up for Anstrum.

Trained by Terry Clyde, Anstrum can stalk and has not finished worse than third in nine starts at 1 1/16 miles. She also has a couple of wins running over wet tracks.