Hastings: Northern Causeway wins stretch duel by neck in British Columbia Derby

VANCOUVER, British Columbia – Northern Causeway might have been the smallest horse in the Grade 3, $200,000 British Columbia Derby, but he showed the most heart by holding off Jebrica to win the 1 1/8-mile feature.

Trained by Len Kasmerski, Northern Causeway paid $8.50 as the favorite in the 12-horse field.

With Herbie D. and Winter Warlock dueling through quick fractions of 22.48 and 45.97 seconds, William Antongeorgi had Northern Causeway sitting comfortably in fifth. Northern Causeway moved up to engage the leaders after six furlongs in 1:10.70. He made a strong move while going three-wide around the stretch turn. Northern Causeway hooked up with Jebrica, who appeared to have the most momentum, at the top of the stretch and after a stretch-long duel held on to win by a neck.

“He’s such a fighter,” said Antongeorgi. “He gets a little lost when he’s by himself. It’s almost like you want them to come to at him at the top of the stretch.”

“I thought I had him but the other horse dug in and I lost a little momentum when he switched leads,” said Russell Baze, who rode Jebrica.

Arraignment came from last to finish third at 78-1.

The final time was 1:50.22.

Northern Causeway earned $120,000 for owner Rozamund Barclay. Northern Causeway also won the $50,000 Richmond Derby Trial at Hastings and remained undefeated in three starts on dirt.

Total handle for the day was $1.157 million, a 29 percent increase over last year.