Square Dancer will start season in George Royal

VANCOUVER, British Columbia – It doesn’t take much to get trainer Steve Henson excited, and the personable trainer gets more animated than usual when he talks about Square Dancer. According to Henson, Square Dancer, the British Columbia open-company horse of the year in 2015, is set to make his 2016 debut in the $50,000 George Royal next Saturday.

“I can hardly wait to run him,” said Henson. “It is a real joy to have the honor of training him.”

Partly because of his warm personality and his excellent communication skills, Henson was chosen by leaders of the local horse-racing industry to become the trainer for the Hastings Horse Racing Club, which was formed last year. Square Dancer, who was running in high-priced claiming races at Emerald Downs, was one of the horses Henson picked out for the 200 members of the club. The funds used to purchase Square Dancer came from money designated by the British Columbia Horse Racing Management Committee toward promoting horse racing in B.C.

Under Henson’s tutelage, Square Dancer won three of his four starts at Hastings and was the runner-up in the Grade 3 Premiers. His biggest win came in the $100,000 Redekop Classic, where, despite stumbling at the start, he was able to wear down a stubborn Modern in the final strides. Modern, who won the $50,000 Swift Thoroughbreds Inaugural in his first start this year, is also being pointed to the George Royal.

“Modern is going to be tough,” said Henson. “There isn’t any speed to go with him, and Square Dancer doesn’t really want to sprint. He couldn’t be training any better, though, and you know he is going to lay his body down.”

Square Dancer earned bullets in his last three works and has impressed clockers at Hastings.

“He has looked great all spring,” said head clocker Lisa Russell. “He just does everything so easily.”