Hastings: Northern Causeway named British Columbia's best

VANCOUVER, British Columbia – Northern Causeway was named British Columbia’s Horse of the Year at the annual Thoroughbred Awards Dinner held at Hastings on Saturday evening.

Based in Northern California with trainer Len Kazmerski, Northern Causeway ran just twice at Hastings. He won the Richmond Derby Trial and the Grade 3, $200,000 B.C. Derby. In both races he looked like he was beaten at the top of the stretch, but he showed great courage by holding off Commander by a neck in the Trial and Jebrica by the same margin in the B.C. Derby. Jebrica came back to beat older horses in the $100,000 Premiers.

Northern Causeway, also named the champion 3-year-old, is owned by Rozamund Barclay.

Almost Time repeated as B.C.-bred Horse of the Year. Trained by Dino Condilenios, Almost Time got his lone stakes win in the B.C. Cup Classic. He was also named the top older B.C.-bred. He is owned by Swift Thoroughbreds Inc.

St Liams Hall was the winner in the older horse division. St Liams Halo won 3 of his 4 starts at Hastings, including the John Longden 6000 and Lieutenant Governors’. A Florida-bred, he is trained by Troy Taylor, who was the leading trainer at Hastings for the fifth straight year. He is owned by Glen Todd and Patrick Kinsella, the leading owners for a fifth consecutive year.

Other horses honored: Dashing Daisy, older filly or mare, open and B.C.-bred; Herbie D, B.C.-bred 3-year-old; Class Included, 3-year-old filly; La Belle Rose, B.C.-bred 3-year-old filly; Herescomelucky, 2-year-old, open and B.C.-bred; Gabigotherway, 2-year-old filly, open and B.C.-bred; Classic Alley Kat, sprinter.

Robert W. Hall, best known for being the owner and trainer of the greatest B.C.-bred ever, George Royal, was inducted into the B.C. Horse Racing Hall of Fame. Lord Nelson, who won 13 stakes races at Hastings between 2001 and 2004, was also inducted.

The Diamond Award of Excellence was awarded to trainer Elizabeth Stolzenberg.

Darlene Smith received the Backstretch Award presented by the Horsemen’s Benevolent Protective Agency.