Hastings begins 45-day meet
VANCOUVER, British Columbia – The Hastings meet gets underway with an eight-race card Saturday. For the first time since the COVID pandemic hit British Columbia, the track will be fully open. Well almost. The plan is to be fully operational, but due to problems besetting many industries, it has not been easy finding workers.
Nonetheless, Ryan McCartney, the new director of operations at Hastings, is looking forward to opening day and then moving forward as the meet progresses.
“I’ll be cooking in Jerome’s [the racebook] Saturday,” he said. “We’re really excited about opening up. It’s been a long wait and the great thing about the racetrack is there is a lot of open space, and it is a great place for people to venture even if they are not a 100 percent comfortable yet. We have the potential for a fantastic summer.”
The 45-day meet runs through Oct. 16 with racing mostly on Saturdays and Sundays. Post times for both days are 2 p.m, Pacific. The first Sunday is May 15.
Hastings is not where McCartney would like it to be from a physical standpoint, but the site is starting to take shape and patrons will notice a more colorful grandstand.
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“The property has basically been sitting for a couple of years so there was a lot of maintenance that was needed,” said McCartney. “We are doing a lot to beautify the site, which you will see over the next few months. The angle we are taking now is that we are open for business, we have the same fantastic product we’ve always had, and just you wait until Canada Day [July 1] to see all the wonderful things we will have done.”
McCartney has a casino background, but according to Dave Milburn, the president of the local Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association, he is a fast learner when it comes to horseracing.
“Ryan is very keen and picks things up quickly,” said Milburn. “We should have a good meet. Purses are higher than they have ever been, and the incentive programs really helped our horse population.”
The highlight of the meet is the Grade 3, $125,000 British Columbia Derby on Sept. 10. The 1 1/8-mile feature is supported by the $100,000 British Columbia Oaks, $50,000 Delta Colleen for fillies and mares, and the $50,000 Randall Plate for 3-year-olds and up.
Big Union figures to be a short price in the opening day feature, a nonwinners-of-three allowance race for 3-year-olds and up going six furlongs.
A 4-year-old son of Union Rags, Big Union is the only horse in the field with a race this year and he is coming off a front-running victory in a first-level allowance race at the Fair Grounds for trainer Grant Forster.
Big Union has been sharp in the mornings at Hastings for trainer Steve Henson and will be tough to run down if he breaks alertly from the inside post with Amadeo Perez up.