VANCOUVER, British Columbia – The 2023 live meet at Hastings gets under way Sunday with a seven-race card. The 45-day meet runs through Oct. 15, with racing mostly conducted on Saturdays and Sundays. The lights will be on when Friday night racing begins July 28 and runs through Aug. 18. Post time for Friday is 7 pm. Saturday, Sunday, and holiday cards have a 2 p.m. start. Hastings sits on the site of the Pacific National Exhibition and during the annual fair that begins there Aug. 20, racing will be held Mondays, Aug. 21 and 28, with a start time of 7 p.m. The usual Saturday-Sunday schedule resumes Sept. 9 and continues until the end of the meet. Ryan McCartney, director of operations at Hastings, is expecting racing fans to have a better experience than last year when some concession stands were closed and there were long lines at the ones that were open. “Coming out of COVID, we had a hard time finding people to work. In terms of staffing last year, we had about 50 percent of the people we needed,” he said. “We are in much better shape now. We are opening new concession stands and doing a lot more promotions.” :: Take your handicapping to the next level and play with FREE DRF Past Performances - Formulator or Classic.  There is a new wagering profile, with the 20-cent Jackpot Pick 5 being replaced by a $1 pick five that will have a carryover if there is no winning ticket. Instead of two pick fours, there is just a late one. For the first time at Hastings, there will be Hi-5 wagering on the last race. It is a 20-cent wager with a carryover if there is no winning ticket. The highlight of the $1.75 million stakes schedule is the Grade 3, $125,000 British Columbia Derby on Sept. 16. The 1 1/8-mile race for 3-year-olds will be supported by the $75,000 British Columbia Oaks, $100,000 Jack Diamond Futurity, and $100,000 Sadie Diamond Futurity. The other Grade 3 race at the meet is the $100,000 Premiers on Oct. 7. The $50,000 B.C. Classic headlines six stakes races that will make up the bulk of the card on B.C. Cup Day on Aug. 7. Last year’s leading trainer, Edgar Mendoza, is looking forward to another strong season. “I have about 40 horses, so I should have a good meet,” Mendoza said. “I do have a lot of 2-year-olds, though.” Mendoza has realistic chances of winning the first two races Sunday with Milo’s Command making his first start as a 3-year-old in an $8,000 maiden claimer that kicks off the meet. Miss the Hype looks formidable in a bottom-level claimer in the second race. Trainer Barbara Heads and last year’s leading rider, Amadeo Perez, figure to team up to win the feature race with Rollercoasterride. The Kentucky-bred son of Curlin lost the Grade 3 British Columbia Derby by a head to Regal Riot and the Grade 3 Premiers by a nose to At Attention. He figures to be short price in a six-furlong allowance race the drew five horses and goes as race 6. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.