Stanz in Command comes flying late to win River Rock Casino Handicap

VANCOUVER, British Columbia - Taking advantage of a fast and contested pace, Stanz in Command rallied late to edge Silvertown by a nose in the $50,000 River Rock Casino Handicap for 3-year-olds at Hastings on Sunday. He paid $14.20.

With Richard Hamel aboard, Stanz in Command was relaxed early while Crushin Candy was setting extremely fast fractions under pressure. The first quarter-mile went in 21.47 seconds and Crushin Candy was still in front after a half-mile in 44.81 in the 6 1/2-furlong dash.

Stanz in Command was starting to move into contention on the stretch turn, and although he was sixth at the eighth pole, he was in full flight and was only 2 1/2 lengths behind the leaders. Hamel moved him out to the middle of the track, where he closed with a rush in the final sixteenth to nail Silvertown at the wire. Silvertown was in a stalking position early and it looked like he was going to take control of the race just past the half-mile call but stalled on the turn. He took the lead midstretch but couldn’t hold off the determined bid by Stanz in Command. Crushin Candy held on to finish third.

“He did everything I asked,” said Hamel. “He managed to overcome going wide, but that’s what you have to do when the speed is backing up.”

Hamel wasn’t sure if he got up in time or not.

“My goggles were pretty dirty so I had to wait for the photo to know for sure,” he said.

Stanz in Command, a son of Second in Command, is trained by Charlene Miller and is owned by Robert Scott.

It was his fourth stakes win sprinting.

The final time was 1:17.09.