Mr. Bowling rolls in Redekop Classic
VANCOUVER, British Columbia – Mr. Bowling deserves to be favored when he goes for his third straight stakes win in the $100,000 Redekop Classic at Hastings on Monday. The 1 1/8-mile race for 3-year-olds and up bred or owned in British Columbia is the gem of the six stakes races on the nine-race card that begins at 12:50 p.m. Pacific.
Most of the races are competitive and have good-sized fields. The late pick four that begins with Race 6 has a guaranteed pool of $25,000.
Four of the stakes are restricted to B.C.-breds, but in order to enhance what is one of the biggest days of the meet, the Redekop Classic and the $75,000 Pegasus Distaff were opened to horses also owned by B.C. residents. It worked in spades for the Redekop Classic, which drew 10 horses compared with five last year.
Mr. Bowling is the one to beat if he runs. Trained by Troy Taylor, he easily handled Modern while going 1 1/16 miles in the $50,000 Lieutenant Governor’s on July 1 and won’t have any trouble handling the slightly longer distance. He could be vulnerable, though. He’s had just a single work since his last start, and he had three moves leading up to the Lieutenant Governor’s.
“He’s doing okay,” Taylor said on Saturday. “I think he was a little better going into his last race, but he trained well this morning. We’re probably going to run.”
Mr. Bowling drew the outside post, with David Lopez picking up the mount from Mario Guiterrez.
Classic Sense could be coming up to a big race as a first-time gelding, and trainer Dino Condilenios is taking the blinkers off the 4-year-old son of Street Sense. In his last start, he rallied to finish third in the Sir Winston Churchill, which was won by his stablemate Modern.
“He’s moving a lot better since we cut him,” said Condilenios. “They were pretty big and obviously were bothering him.”
Modern will be the one they have to catch.
KEY CONTENDERS
Mr. Bowling (Last 3 Beyers: 89-86-75)
* He is a standout on paper, and if he runs his race, he’ll be tough to beat. That is a big if, though.
Classic Sense (Last 3 Beyers: 74-77-72)
* He’s trained very well since he was altered and should appreciate the shape of the race.
Modern (Last 3 Beyers: 87-81-78)
* The one to catch could be tough to get past if he’s left alone early.
Square Dancer (Last 3 Beyers: 82-66-80)
* Trained by Steve Henson, he was very impressive in winning a $50,000 optional claimer in his first start at Hastings and shouldn’t mind the shape of the race.
Mysterious Soul (Last 3 Beyers: 79-86-78)
* Trained by Barbara Heads, he forced a fast pace and held on well to finish second behind Square Dancer in his first start since he lost the Grade 3 Premier’s by a neck to Alert Bay on Oct. 13. He could either move forward or bounce following a hard race after a lengthy layoff, though.