Infinite Patience looks to rebound off rare loss in BC Cup Distaff

Infinite Patience is still the queen at Hastings and probably will remind everyone of that fact in Monday’s BC Cup Distaff over 1 1/16 miles, which drew a tiny field of 4 and will go as the BC Cup card’s second race.

The BC Cup Monday card is comprised of six stakes and three supporting events.

Sometimes the racing gods send reminders that nothing is certain in much the same way that a roulette ball sometimes lands on a green square. Such was the case in Infinite Patience’s allowance prep at Hastings on July 16. The Barbara Heads trainee experienced a trip which was as near to the description “steadied throughout” as one should ever expect to see.

“She herself was mad and frustrated over the situation,” said Heads of her champion getting little room to run at any point during the 6 1/2-furlong allowance prep despite having just four foes.

Onlookers would do well to remind themselves that Infinite Patience has gone off at 1-20 on five different occasions and that she is a perfect 8 for 8 when racing a mile or more on traditional dirt.

The chief opponent for the prohibitive favorite will be We B Three, trained by Steve Henson, who herself is an eye-catching 3 for 3 in 2023 and has won two stakes in her division. Infinite Patience has faced We B Three on three occasions and won each time.

The BC Cup Classic will go as the day’s final race and pits last year’s runner-up At Attention, also trained by Heads, against a half-dozen who last raced in the July 1 Lieutenant Governor’s Handicap. Those include still another Heads trainee, Arollercoasterride, who was third, beaten two lengths as the 2-5 favorite, in the Lieutenant Governor’s. Heads said At Attention got stepped on from his outside and had a shoe pulled off in his most recent start in the July 18 Century Mile, adding, “So needless to say [he] ran a huge race [while] missing a hind shoe.”

Three-year-olds are on the trail to the British Coulmbia Derby in the Sir Winston Churchill over 1 1/16 miles. The headliners are Legacy Square, Sunbird, Accidental Hero, and Lucky Force.

The Hong Kong Jockey Club, for 3-year-old fillies over 1 1/16 miles, will see heavily favored Air Force try to extend her stakes winning streak to three as she meets main rival Key to Success. Air Force is trained by Keith Pederson while Key to Success is trained by Larry Grieve. The two favorites will meet four others.

The BC Cup Nursery, for 2-year-olds, drew a field of 10 who share just a single win and six starts between them. The Nursery field will go 6 1/2 furlongs while none of the entrants have yet raced beyond 3 1/2 furlongs. Horatio, trained by Dino Condilenios, and Beckett’s Best, trained by Edgar Mendoza, catch the eye on paper.

First on the Monday card will be the BC Cup Debutante, which will pit four 2-year-old fillies who share just two starts and no wins between them.