Wonder World by a nose in CTHS Sales Stakes

VANCOUVER, British Columbia – In a thriller, Wonder World edged Goliath by a nose in the CTHS Sales Stakes for 3-year-olds at Hastings on Monday. He paid $10.70. The 1 1/16-mile race was one of four $50,000 stakes restricted to horses who went through a Canadian Thoroughbred Horse Society sale.

With Keshan Balgobin aboard, Wonder World bided his time while Its Finally Friday and Aspen Getaway dueled through quick interior fractions of 23.69 and 46.22 seconds. Wonder World started to make his presence known at the quarter pole and looked like a sure winner when he took command soon after entering the stretch. However, he drifted out in midstretch and then was barely able to hold off Goliath by the narrowest of margins. Laguna Blaze finished a distant third.

“He’s still a bit green,” said winning trainer Carl Lausten. “It was only his fifth start, and he should mature with racing.”

The final time was 1:45.78

Richard Hamel, who rode Goliath, swept the other three stakes on the card.

“I thought I had won it,” said Hamel. “It was a great day, though.”

In the first race on the card, the heavily favored Lord Rosberg started the stakes festival with a 3 1/2-length win over Forestry’s Devil in the 2-year-old colts-and-geldings division. He paid $2.90 and never looked threatened after Hamel put him on the lead at the start of the 6 1/2-furlong race.

The final time was 1:18.51.

Lord Rosberg’s half-sister, Irish Lyric, won the $50,000 CTHS Sales Stakes for 3-year-old fillies. Trained by Patty Leaney, Irish Lyric paid $4.20. She won the 1 1/16-mile race by 1 1/2 lengths over Hey Didjanotis while posting a final time of 1:45.77.

The brother-sister daily double paid $7.80.

Hamel had an easy time guiding Finality’s Charmer to a five-length win over Quatre Cat in the 2-year-old fillies division. She broke on top in the 6 1/2-furlong race, took and a 2 1/2-length advantage over Quatre Cat into the stretch, and widened her advantage under strong urging.

“I was pretty confident when she made the lead so easily,” said Hamel. “I knew Quatre Cat was going to make a run at her, but she had plenty left.”

Trained by leading trainer Craig MacPherson, Finality’s Charmer paid $5.30 as the slight favorite over Quatre Cat, who beat her by a nose in the $50,000 B.C. Cup Debutante on Aug. 4.

The final time was 1:17.85.