He's the Reason rolls to Lieutenant Governors' victory

VANCOUVER, British Columbia – He’s the Reason broke sharply and set lively interior fractions on his way to a 2 1/2-length victory over Brave Nation in the $50,000 Lieutenant Governors’ at Hastings on Sunday.

With Richard Hamel aboard, the 4-year-old Kentucky-bred posted a half mile time of 46.49 seconds and held a 3 1/2-length advantage over Brave Nation and Apalachee Bay. The margin diminished to a half-length at the six-furlong mark. However, responding to the challenge, He's the Reason opened up a clear lead on the stretch turn and never looked threatened while holding Brave Nation at bay. Calgary Caper rallied from last to finish third in the seven-horse field.

The final time was 1:44.06 and the winner returned $13.90.

A son of The Factor, He’s the Reason was coming off a front-running win going 6 1/2 furlongs in a $35,000 claiming race on June 15.

“He got a lot of confidence out of his last race,” said Hamel. “He’s got a long stride, so I wasn’t concerned with how fast we were going.”

He’s the Reason is owned and trained by Glen Todd.