Small but competitive fields face off in rescheduled CTHS Sales Stakes

Monday’s rescheduled Hastings card brings the annual Canadian Thoroughbred Horse Society Sales Stakes in four separate $50,000 events, with recent stakes winners August Rain and Lizzie’s Rayne expected to take the most interest.

The races, which were postponed from Aug. 21 due to poor air quality, are restricted to runners who passed through various equine sales in Canada and as such have drawn very unique fields.

Monday’s card begins with the first stakes of the day, for 2-year-old colts and geldings. Despite having just four runners, the 6 1/2-furlong race is interesting on paper.

The four geldings faced one another in the British Columbia Cup Nursery Stakes on Aug. 7. In that race, August Rain and Pisco dueled for the lead through most of the race before debuting Diocles arrived from the back to finish just a head behind victorious August Rain.

New variables for Monday include a field of just four instead of nine in the B.C. Cup Nursery, and Pisco has drawn just to the outside of August Rain, which should give Pisco a tactical advantage.

Monday’s second race puts 2-year-old fillies in the spotlight going 6 1/2 furlongs, with five entered, including a trio of first-time starters. Of the beginners, Daz Lin Force catches the eye as she is the first foal out of multiple stakes winner Daz Lin Dawn, who was pulled up in her debut, then won nine of her next 10 starts, all at Hastings. Daz Lin Force is trained by Keith Pedersen.

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Another debuter of note is February, a $36,000 purchase trained by Dino Condilenios.

“I’m very excited about her,” Condilenios said. “She has a lot of ability. I would have loved to have one more long work into her, but she did finish quite strong in her last” workout.

The favorite in the 2-year-old fillies race is sure to be Lizzie’s Rayne, who was a comfortable winner three weeks ago in the B.C. Cup Debutante.

The CTHS Stakes for 3-year-old and 4-year-old sales graduates will be contested at 1 1/16 miles, one for fillies and the other for males.

Licorice, trained by Condilenios, should set the pace in the fillies race, which drew a field of five.

“We’re just taking a shot, the lack of speed in the race is the main reason,” Condilenios said.

Shamra is likely to go favored in the fillies races and figures to sit just off the pace. Shamra won an allowance race at Hastings in July at Monday’s distance.

Five geldings will face off in the other two-turn stakes. That affair is topped by Just Jimmy, trained by Craig MacPherson, and Wisely Played, trained by Charlene Miller.

Just Jimmy is 2 for 3 at the distance, while Wisely Played is just 1 for 16 lifetime and sports a record of 1-4-4 from nine tries at 1 1/16 miles.

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