Modern must be caught in Lieutenant Governor’s

VANCOUVER, British Columbia – It looks like a choice between Modern or Mr. Bowling in Wednesday’s $50,000 Lieutenant Governor’s Handicap at Hastings. The 1 1/16-mile race for 3-year-olds and up is the first of four stakes on the Canada Day Card, which begins at 1:50 p.m. Pacific.

Modern has won two of the three stakes for 3-year-olds and up at the meet, and proved he can beat top company going around three turns in the $50,000 Sir Winston Churchill in his last start on June 7. As usual, he was in front early, and after setting quick fractions he was easily able to hold off Dontmesswithkitten, who will also start in the Lieutenant Governor’s.

Trained by Dino Condilenios, Modern drew the outside post in the six-horse field. There isn’t much doubt jockey Richard Hamel will be asking the 5-year-old son of Tiznow to use his substantial speed coming out of the gate.

“He is the kind of horse that can run fast early and keep going,” said Condilenios. “You can’t dance every dance, so we were thinking of skipping this one, but he’s just doing so well right now. We’ll look at giving him a break after the race.”

Mr. Bowling took advantage of a wicked duel between Modern and Herbie D to win the 6 1/2-furlong John Longden 6000 here on May 18. He won the Lieutenant Governor’s last year, and if Go for Guinness softens up Modern early, he could repeat. Southern California-based jockey Mario Gutierrez, who was aboard for Mr. Bowling’s wins in the Longden and Lieutenant Governor’s, retains the mount.

The last of the four stakes on the card is the $50,000 Monashee Handicap, where Arabella’s Muse figures to be a short price in the 1 1/16-mile race for fillies and mares. Seven horses were entered, but Hollywood Miss, second to Arabella’s Muse in the Vancouver Sun, is reportedly going to be scratched.

Arabella’s Muse and Hollywood Miss raced as a team most of the way in the 1 1/16-mile Sun. Arabella’s Muse started to inch clear inside the sixteenth pole and went on to win by a length.

Trained by Mike Anderson, Arabella’s Muse will break from the rail and could be tough to get past if she leaves there running. Richard Hamel will have the mount.

Touching Promise looks like the main threat. She won the Grade 3 Ballerina last year with Gutierrez riding, and he will be back on board in the Monashee. In her last start, Touching Promise stalked the leaders in the Sun, but the moderate pace left her unable to catch them and she settled for third.