Redekop could shoot for three-peat in BC Derby

VANCOUVER, British Columbia – The $50,000 Chris Loseth Handicap for 3-year-olds Tuesday at Hastings should help identify the leading local contender for the Grade 3, $150,000 British Columbia Derby, which will take place Sept. 14. The Loseth is one of four stakes races that will be contested on the Canada Day card.

If recent history is any indication, though, the 2014 B.C. Derby winner won’t be running Tuesday. Owner Peter Redekop won the most prestigious race in western Canada with Second City in 2102 and Title Contender last year. Both horses were purchased just prior to the race and were making their first starts at Hastings.

Second City went into the race undefeated in three starts at Penn National and Charles Town. Title Contender was purchased following his win in the Grade 3 Ohio Derby at ThistleDown. In his first race for Redekop, he finished 11th in the Grade 3 Canadian Derby at Northlands Park prior to winning the B.C. Derby.

Redekop wasn’t really thinking about a three-peat, but he is always looking to buy a nice horse.

“I might be pushing my luck to think about winning it again,” he said. “Three-peat has a nice ring to it, though. It isn’t easy finding a good horse for a decent price, but I am always looking for one. If a good 3-year-old became available, I would certainly be interested.”

Redekop currently has one of the top 3-year-olds at Hastings, Aspen Getaway, but he doesn’t think Aspen Getaway is good enough to win the B.C. Derby.

Trained by Anita Bolton, Aspen Getaway won the $50,000 Jim Coleman Province Stakes in his first start this year and came back with another good effort, losing by a head to Koffee Grinder, in the River Rock Casino Stakes. Both races were at 6 1/2 furlongs. Koffee Grinder likely will be favored in the Loseth. Bolton and Redekop weren’t sure if they were going to run Aspen Getaway in the Loseth, though.

“I just don’t think he wants to go long,” said Redekop.

He also owns Alert Bay, who probably is good enough to win the B.C. Derby. Redekop wasn’t sure he wanted to ship Alert Bay out of his home state of California, where he has been picking up a nice chunk of change, $234,300 and counting, running in Cal-bred stakes races. The son of City Zip probably wouldn’t have any trouble adapting to the Hastings surface. In eight starts, Alert Bay has won on turf, Tapeta, and dirt.

In his last three starts, he won the $200,000 Echo Eddie Stakes sprinting over Santa Anita’s main track, finished a close third in the 1 1/8-mile, $250,000 Snow Chief Stakes on turf there, and most recently lost by a head going a mile in the $100,000 Silky Sullivan Stakes on the Golden Gate turf. He is trained by Blaine Wright.

“He can sprint, go long, and he’ll run on anything,” said Redekop. “He certainly gives us lots of options.”

His next start will be going seven furlongs in the $200,000 Real Good Deal Stakes for Cal-bred 3-year-olds Aug. 1 at Del Mar, where he will be running over Polytrack for the first time.

“We’ll take it from there,” said Redekop. “He could end up coming up here for the Derby, but we might just keep him in California.”

Forster recovering well

Trainer Dave Forster said that other than being a bit sore and tired, he was feeling great after undergoing emergency heart surgery last Saturday. Forster was rushed to the hospital following the last race at Hastings after feeling discomfort in his chest.

“They put a stint in, and it really wasn’t a big deal,” said Forster. “They just opened me up, and it seemed like I was out of there in minutes. I told them it had nothing to do with how bad my horses ran Saturday.”

“We were really lucky,” said his wife, Teri. “The ambulance came within minutes of being called, and they did the surgery on him right away. We were told that since they got to him so quickly, the damage was minimal, and he should be fine.”

Forster, 78, is hoping to be back at the track this weekend.