Majesticality pulls off 40-1 upset in B.C. Derby

Majesticality, the second longest shot on the board at 40-1 in a field of 11 3-year-olds, overcame a poor start to score a huge upset in the Grade 3, $156,291 British Columbia Derby at Hastings on Sunday.

Coming from well off the pace with Richard Hamel aboard, Majesticality ($82.60) made a strong late move while going at least four-wide around the final turn and edged Crew Leader by a half-length in the 1 1/8-mile feature on a card with three other stakes.

The favored Cherokee Notion, ridden by Russell Baze, took a one-length lead into the stretch, but tired late to finish third. The trifecta paid $7,838.30.

“He stumbled, got shut off and clipped heels leaving the gate, but that was okay because I didn’t want to be on the pace anyway,” said Hamel, who earlier on the card won the Sir Winston Churchill with Senor Rojo.
“I saw a lot of traffic in front of me going down the backside so when I got the chance I moved him to the outside. He slipped into the gear we needed and it ended up being a great trip.”

It was the second win in the B.C. Derby for trainer Barbara Heads, who won the race in 2006 with Halo Steven.

“Richard is riding so well right now and he had a lot of faith in this horse all year,” said Heads. “We never wanted to say he was our derby horse because that’s the kiss of death. Richard stuck with him and I’m really glad he did.”

A British Columbia-bred, Mejesticality was bred by his owners, Mr. and Mrs. Russell J. Bennett.

The final time for the race over a track rated sloppy was 1:50.80.