Hastings: Taylor-Gutierrez team sweeps Churchill and Delta Colleen

VANCOUVER, British Columbia - The combo of trainer Troy Taylor and jockey Mario Gutierrez swept both stakes at Hastings Monday.

Cherokee Notion ($8) was a game winner over longshot Silly Fella in the $50,000 Sir Winston Churchill for 3-year-olds and up. Dashing Daisy ($4.90) won a thriller in the $50,000 Delta Colleen for fillies and mares.

Setting leisurely fractions of 24.14 and 49.05 for the first four furlongs in the 1 1/8-mile Churchill, Cherokee Notion had plenty left when the 6-5 favorite Crew Leader engaged him from along the rail at the three-eighths pole. Crew Leader put his head in front going down the backstretch, but Cherokee Notion repelled the bid and then held off Silly Fella, who stalked the moderate pace while going widethe whole way. The winning margin was a half-length, with Crew Leader finishing a neck behind Silly Fella.

“I tried to slow him down as much as I could and save him for the last part of the race,” said Gutierrez. “It worked out perfectly.”

The final time was 1:51.34.

Gutierrez also put Dashing Daisy on the lead in the 1 1/8-mile Delta Colleen. After a stretch-long duel with Hard Way Ten and Orchid’s Silver, she emerged the winner by a head over Hard Way Ten. It was another head back to Orchid’s Silver.

The win in the Delta Colleen was Gutierrez’s fourth winner on the card.

The final time for the Delta Colleen was 1.51.93.