Wright bringing a live one in Riser to B.C. Derby

VANCOUVER, British Columbia – Trainer Blaine Wright is hoping Riser dominates the Grade 3, $150,000 British Columbia Derby at Hastings on Saturday like Wright has dominated the trainer standings at Emerald Downs this year.

Wright has all but clinched his second straight training title. He’s won with 48 of his starters at the meet for an exceptional 36 percent strike rate. His closest pursuer, Joe Toye, has 32 wins. Wright has also won 10 stakes at the meet, including three on Washington Cup Day.

“It has been a good year but we still have some things to accomplish,” he said.

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First on the list is winning his first British Columbia Derby. He certainly has the horse to do it with Riser, who will be among the favorites in the 1 1/8-mile race. He is also the one they will have to run down.

Riser is coming off a front-running win going the B.C. Derby distance in the $75,000 Emerald Downs Derby July 30. The Ohio-bred son of Mizzen Mast posted a wicked half-mile time of 45.80 seconds and just kept rolling. His final time was 1:49.41 and the 88 Beyer he received is the top figure among the horses expected to enter the B.C. Derby – the most important race at Hastings.

It was just his second route attempt on dirt. Riser didn’t look like a horse that could carry his speed nine furlongs in his first route try on dirt. He set a fast pace before getting nipped at the wire by his stablemate Aqua Frio in the one-mile Seattle Slew at Emerald on July 2. Prior to stretching out, he romped in his first two starts at Emerald, including a 5 1/4-length blowout over Aqua Frio in the 6 1/2-furlong Coca Cola Stakes.

“Once he started routing we changed the way we train him, and he’s responded well,” said Wright. “He’s had a few good drills since he won the Emerald Derby, and we’ll give him one more Tuesday before shipping him to Hastings.”

Wright said he would have liked to have given him at least one work over the Hastings surface. He knows the track well. From 2008-2012 he started at least one horse each year over the Vancouver bullring, which is just over five furlongs in circumference. He also watched with keen interest when Alert Bay won the B.C. Derby and Grade 3 Premier’s in 2014 for trainer Anita Bolton. Those were the only two races the $1.25 million earner didn’t start under Wright’s name.

“I think it is harder for horses to ship from Emerald to Hastings than the other way around,” said Wright. “I would have liked to have gotten him up there earlier, but circumstances didn’t allow it.”

Eswan Flores rode Riser in all of his races at Emerald, but because he had problems with obtaining a work visa to ride in Canada, Aaron Gryder picks up the mount. Gryder won 45 races at Hastings in 2013 when he was the first-call rider for owner Glen Todd and trainer Troy Taylor. He won eight stakes, including guiding Commander to a front-running victory in the Grade 3 Premier’s.

Gryder will also ride Top Quality for Wright in the $100,000 British Columbia Oaks on Saturday. The 1 1//8-mile Oaks is one of five supporting stakes on what is shaping up to be an excellent card. A daughter of Quality Road, Top Quality is coming off a third-place finish against her elders in the $65,000 Emerald Distaff Aug. 13, won by Citizen Kitty. The runner-up in the Distaff, Little Dancer, will also start in the Oaks for trainer Doris Harwood.

◗ There is a rare Wednesday card at Hastings this week. The seven-race program begins at 7 p.m. Pacific. There is an $11,939 carryover in the Sea to Sky Pick 6, which begins on the second race.