No longer invincible, Infinite Patience vulnerable in B.C. Cup Distaff

At Attention and Infinite Patience will defend their respective titles over 1 1/16 miles at Hastings on B.C. Cup Monday. Six B.C. Cup races will be contested as part of the eight-race holiday program commencing at 2:30 p.m. Pacific.

Barbara Heads trains both At Attention and Infinite Patience, the four-time defending B.C. Horse of the Year.

Some of the aura of invincibility surrounding Infinite Patience, a relatively tepid 2-1 favorite in the B.C. Cup Distaff, has dissipated during the past 52 weeks. As of the 2023 B.C. Cup, the champion mare had never previously lost a stakes race on dirt. This year she has yet to visit the winner’s circle in three starts. In her last race, July 1, she sat very near a contested pace and pounced on the turn for home only to be run down late by Matsqui.

Heads reported that Infinite Patience has “worked great” – four furlongs in 47 on July 27 – “and is mentally more like herself. We’ve had to basically run her into fitness, not by choice.”

The rest of the field for the B.C. Cup Distaff includes Matsqui, Viva La Vino, Bunny, Air Force, and We B Three. Of the group, only Bunny has not defeated Infinite Patience at some point this year.

Matsqui is a Mark Freeman trainee who was 16-1 when she defeated Infinite Patience on July 1. Viva La Vino is another Heads trainee who has topped her more heralded stablemate both times they faced each another this year.

We B Three, trained by Steve Henson, was the impressive winner of the Emerald Downs Stakes run at Hastings on June 8. Air Force is a Keith Pedersen trainee who on May 18 ran the fastest 6 1/2 furlongs over a sloppy track at Hastings by any horse in at least 33 years.

Bunny is an accomplished sprinter new to the stakes ranks and making her first try over a route of ground. Trainer Dino Condilenios will saddle the daughter of Mo Town.

Monday’s stakes festivities begin with the first race, the B.C. Cup Debutante, in which trainer Mel Snow has entered a tag team of three against the lone other entrant, Someday Lady, who will make her debut for trainer Cindy Krasner. Snow’s runners have each started previously against maidens, with only Breezin Brianne having a win on her record.

The B.C. Cup Nursery, an open event for 2-year-olds, has drawn a group of five who have combined for just two starts to date. The horse to beat is Pioneer Storm King, a Robert Henson trainee who is the only one in the group with a win. He is from a talented dam and has the potential for much more. Another to consider in the group is Chick Command, trained by Edgar Mendoza.

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Later on the holiday card is the Hong Kong Jockey Club for 3-year-old fillies, a race in which Avana will be a heavy favorite. Also trained by Heads, Avana is 3 for 3 at Hastings, with the only loss coming in her debut, a turf race at Del Mar.

“Avana worked well [since her last race],” said Heads. “It is nice to have a route under her.”

The B.C. Cup Classic is a rematch between Sunbird and the Heads-trained At Attention, who finished a nose apart when one-two in the recent Lt. Governor’s Handicap. Sunbird is trained by Terry Jordan.

Of At Attention, Heads said, “Over time he has learned to be a little more versatile according to the pace. If he gets a clean trip it definitely helps, his being such a big horse.”

An interesting prospect in the Classic is Space, another trained by Snow, who ran an even third in the Lt. Governor’s, which was dominated by closers.

The top four finishers in the recent Chris Loseth Stakes will return to sort out the Sir Winston Churchill, which is restricted to 3-year-olds. August Rain, yet another trained by Heads, narrowly won the Chris Loseth and figures to be the favorite.

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