Remembertobreathe, Far Niente prepared to join stakes ranks

VANCOUVER, British Columbia – A couple of lightly raced 3-year-olds, Remembertobreathe and Far Niente, passed their first distance test with flying colors last weekend and soon will be joining their respective stakes divisions.

Remembertobreathe figures to be one of the favorites when he runs July 1 in the $50,000 Chris Loseth Handicap. He was impressive in winning a first-level allowance race going 1 1/16 miles with Ryan Pacheco aboard last Sunday.

Trained by Sylvea Gregory, Remembertobreathe was a maiden when he came from a stalking position to win a sprint at the same level June 1. The difference between the two races was that in his sprint, he had a perfect trip while sitting outside Tempest, who was the lone speed. Last Sunday, he broke sharply, and Pacheco had to fight him a little to get him to settle behind horses. At first, he didn’t appear to be too happy about getting mud thrown into his face.

“We really wanted to get him to sit behind other horses, and it was a great learning experience for him,” said Pacheco. “The first time I rode him this year, he was throwing his head around when dirt was hitting him in the face. This time, he wasn’t crazy about it, but he did eventually relax. I love the way he finished full of run when I moved him outside.”

Pacheco is very impressed with how Remembertobreathe is developing.

“He just keeps getting better,” he said. “The first time I rode him this year, he got stopped cold at the top of the stretch and then immediately found another gear when things opened up. I haven’t been on too many horses that have as many gears as he has, and it seems like the longer, the better.”

According to Gregory, who is the horse’s exercise rider as well as his trainer, Remembertobreathe isn’t a very big horse.

“There isn’t a lot to him, but he has a huge heart,” she said. “I galloped him [Thursday] morning, and he was very strong. He also has the right idea about racing. Even when we are just galloping, he wants to be in front at the wire. As soon as he gets into the stretch, he switches leads and takes off after horses in front of him.”

Gregory said she also was considering running Jordan’s Quest in the Chris Loseth. Jordan’s Quest has won three of his four sprints but faded badly when he went 1 1/16 miles as a 2-year-old in the Ascot Graduation. It was just his second start, though.

“I’m not sure if he wants to go long, but we are going to nominate him and make up our minds later,” she said.

In his last start, Jordan’s Quest finished third in the $50,000 River Rock Casino Stakes.

Trainer Craig MacPherson wasn’t overly keen on running Far Niente in the $50,000 Supernaturel Stakes for 3-year-old fillies July 1 but hadn’t completely ruled it out. She was making her third start at the meet when she scored a front-running win over 2-year-old stakes winner Habida last Saturday.

“She doesn’t carry a lot of weight, and that was her third start in a pretty short time,” said MacPherson. “We’ll give her a few days at the farm and see how she’s doing.”

If Far Niente doesn’t run in the Supernaturel, she could make her next start in a $32,000 allowance stakes Aug. 3. MacPherson also mentioned the $50,000 Northlands Oaks on July 18 in Edmonton as another possibility.

“I haven’t really looked too far ahead with her,” said MacPherson. “Right now, we’re just taking it one day at a time.”