Sky Promise gets green light for British Columbia Derby

VANCOUVER, British Columbia – Sky Promise heads the list of 20 horses nominated to the Grade 3, $150,000 British Columbia Derby. The premier race at Hastings, it will be contested over 1 1/8 miles on Sept. 8.

The derby is one of six stakes on the richest card of the year at Hastings, which includes the $100,000 British Columbia Oaks, the $100,000 Jack Diamond Futurity, and the $100,000 Sadie Diamond Futurity.

Sky Promise is coming off a win in the Grade 3, $200,000 Canadian Derby at Northlands Park last Saturday. The Kentucky-bred son of Sky Mesa was making his second start for trainer Robertino Diodoro, who had claimed him for $40,000 at Churchill Downs on June 30. In his first race for new owners Rick and Clayton Wiest, R 6 Stable, and Norman Tremblay, he won the $75,000 Manitoba Derby by a widening 7 1/2 lengths.

Sky Promise opened up a clear lead at the top of the stretch and easily held off Day Raider in the 1 3/8-mile Canadian Derby. Diodoro said Sky Promise came out of the Canadian Derby in excellent shape and is a definite starter in the British Columbia Derby.

Diodoro won the both races last year with Chief Know It All. But after Chief Know It All survived a lengthy stewards’ inquiry in the Canadian Derby, the decision was overturned by an Alberta Horse Racing tribunal, and he was placed behind Double Bear and Trooper John, who dead-heated for second. The tribunal’s decision is now before the courts.

Trainer Craig MacPherson wasn’t planning on bringing Day Raider back in two weeks after going a marathon distance, but said that Day Raider likely will be among the starters in the British Columbia Derby.

“He came out of the race in great shape, so we’ll probably run him,” said MacPherson.

MacPherson will also enter Weekend Wizard, who could end up favored. The B.C.-bred son of Rosberg romped by six lengths the last time he ran at Hastings, in the Chris Loseth on July 1, and was the runner-up to Sippin Fire in the Muckleshoot Derby at Emerald Downs on July 29.

Local fans will be happy to know that their favorite adopted son Mario Gutierrez has a mount in the B.C. Derby. The two-time Kentucky Derby winner will ride Canadian Game. A Kentucky-bred son of Curlin, Canadian Game races for Reddam Racing and is trained Doug O’Neill. Gutierrez’s Kentucky Derby wins aboard I’ll Have Another and Nyquist were for the same connections.

Canadian Game is coming off a third-place finish in a first-level optional claimer for 3-year-olds and up at Del Mar on Aug. 8.

Other notable nominees are Apalachee Bay and Not Yet.

Apalachee Bay, trained by Phil Hall, was an easy winner of the Count Lathum at Northlands on July 14 and finished third as the favorite after getting fried in a duel in the Sir Winston Churchill Derby Trial at Hastings, won by Day Raider on Aug. 6.

Not Yet improved dramatically for trainer Rob Gilker when he won a $25,000 optional-claiming race with nonwinners-of-three allowance conditions at Hastings on Aug. 20. He will have the best last-race Beyer Speed Figure, an 82, in the field.

◗ Friday’s feature at Hastings is a $16,000 claiming race for 3-year-olds and up. Post time for the first of seven races is 7 p.m. Pacific.