Steve Henson, long one of the leading trainers at Hastings Racecourse in Vancouver, British Columbia, was well aware that the ancient bull ring by the bay wasn’t what it once was. But when it was announced in December that the track would no longer host live racing after the provincial government decided to cease supplying it with casino subsidies, the news knocked Henson on his keister. “It was like getting kicked in the nuts,” Henson said. “I always thought there’d be racing. I knew we were in trouble and would have to downsize, but to get that [news] . . .” Henson, like a handful of his Hastings comrades, has shifted his base across the border to Emerald Downs, where his 10-horse stable includes last year’s Grade 3 British Columbia Derby winner, Rondelito. The reception of the Canadian arrivals has been “phenomenal,” Henson is happy to report. “They’ve gone out of their way to help us,” he said. “Most of them know us. We’ve crossed paths. From the racing office to the backstretch people to everyone, it’s been phenomenal.” :: Access the most trusted data and information in horse racing! DRF Past Performances and Picks are available now. In Saturday’s third race, a starter-allowance sprint for horses who have started for a $4,500 tag or less, Henson has a pair of older geldings, There Goes My Hero and Fraser Landing, who look competitive based on speed figures. However, they’ll cede recency to half of the six-horse field and 5 1/2 furlongs will be the shortest either of Henson’s charges, both off since Hastings’s Oct. 18 closing-day card, will have ever raced. Furthermore, they’ve never raced anywhere but Hastings in 45 combined starts. The good news is that Henson wins at a 36 percent clip with horses who have been on the bench for 180 days or longer, and his horses’ styles are complementary as Fraser Landing likes to run on or near the lead, while There Goes My Hero will want a pace to stalk and close into. “There’s no down time in my barn,” Henson said. “There are very few walk days. I like training all year round. I had these horses at the farm all winter. We’re fit.” That being said, Henson acknowledged that “there’s no substitute” for the races, and contenders like Classic Cinema, Blazing Peme, and Bad Sneakers have run at Turf Paradise this year. “We’re semi-live,” Henson said of his pair. “I’m looking forward to running, but I’m not going to the windows.” Bettors may want to take Henson’s hedge with a grain of salt, as leading rider Kevin Krigger, who went 5-2-1-2 on opening day last Saturday, has the mount on There Goes My Hero. “You start at the top and work your way down,” Henson said of his successful courtship of Krigger. “I’ve had him get on horses for us now and we’re pretty happy. My whole world is as good as it can be. Wait ’til we get Rondelito ready.” First post on Saturday’s eight-race card is at 1:50 p.m. Pacific. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.