46zilzal
09-21-2007, 12:07 PM
Hopefully the rain will have a hiatus (though I am not holding my breath) but if you want a good exercise in handicapping, the two weekend cards at Hastings will provide it for you with shippers, riders flying in from all points of the compass, class races (for here) at classic distances with all sorts of hopes and dreams tied to the outcome.
BIG one on Saturday: the B.C. Oaks feature with one of the best mares in this neck of the woods, Monashee. She reminds me of Lady's Secret (gray and a devastating front runner). She is so good the powers that be gave her 130 pounds to tote over the distance for this one. When was the last time an entry accepted that kind of weight?
Sunday shippers galore in the B.C. Derby (Justin Stein and Gary Olguin in from Woodbine as well as riders coming up from Washington and Alberta) along with the Sir Winston Churchill, both a 9.0 furlongs.
B. C. Breeders' Cup Derby - Grade 3
1 Rage Till Dawn (CA) 3 Francisco Fuentes
2 Amazin Blue (KY) 3 Quincy Welch
3 Ookashada (BC) 3 Justin Stein
4 Sir Gallovic (KY) 3 Mario Gutierrez
5 Another Kris (FL) 3 David Wilson
6 Jamaica Bound (KY) 3 Gallyn Mitchell
7 Celtic Dreamin (CA) 3 Gerry Olguin
8 Footprint (KY) 3 Real E. Simard
9 Beckenbauer (KY) 3 Felipe Valdez
10 Gandolf (KY) 3 Jake Barton
Now if you watch the races carefully (in these 9 furlong contests), there will be this fellow standing on the back of the truck, at the higher end of the gate post position wise, probably wearing a yellow slicker and holding a portable television camera over his right shoulder. THAT will be yours truly. Sir Gallovic was recently purchased in New York and has been very impressive in two outings (recorded the fastest time of the year at 8.5f under wraps) and the LOCAL favorite will be Okashada as he is a home bred horse that was the two year old champion. Footprint is one that got real good real quickly in Alberta and recently took the measure of Okashada at Northlands. I haven't seen the past performances as of yet but will throw in my two cents worth tomorrow.
In years past, so many of the riders came in with no experience riding bull rings but I think the connections figured that out at all of these guys know this oval. G. Mitchell (Emd) comes here often in the Fall, Jake Barton rode here regularly, Stein was leading rider here, Olguin was in the top 5, Simard and Welch both ride the Alberta circuit (all bull rings), Mario Gutierrez is the leading rider this year and Wilson never hurts a horse's chances here.
The Churchill features the older horse of the year last season in Canada: True Metropolitan.
BIG one on Saturday: the B.C. Oaks feature with one of the best mares in this neck of the woods, Monashee. She reminds me of Lady's Secret (gray and a devastating front runner). She is so good the powers that be gave her 130 pounds to tote over the distance for this one. When was the last time an entry accepted that kind of weight?
Sunday shippers galore in the B.C. Derby (Justin Stein and Gary Olguin in from Woodbine as well as riders coming up from Washington and Alberta) along with the Sir Winston Churchill, both a 9.0 furlongs.
B. C. Breeders' Cup Derby - Grade 3
1 Rage Till Dawn (CA) 3 Francisco Fuentes
2 Amazin Blue (KY) 3 Quincy Welch
3 Ookashada (BC) 3 Justin Stein
4 Sir Gallovic (KY) 3 Mario Gutierrez
5 Another Kris (FL) 3 David Wilson
6 Jamaica Bound (KY) 3 Gallyn Mitchell
7 Celtic Dreamin (CA) 3 Gerry Olguin
8 Footprint (KY) 3 Real E. Simard
9 Beckenbauer (KY) 3 Felipe Valdez
10 Gandolf (KY) 3 Jake Barton
Now if you watch the races carefully (in these 9 furlong contests), there will be this fellow standing on the back of the truck, at the higher end of the gate post position wise, probably wearing a yellow slicker and holding a portable television camera over his right shoulder. THAT will be yours truly. Sir Gallovic was recently purchased in New York and has been very impressive in two outings (recorded the fastest time of the year at 8.5f under wraps) and the LOCAL favorite will be Okashada as he is a home bred horse that was the two year old champion. Footprint is one that got real good real quickly in Alberta and recently took the measure of Okashada at Northlands. I haven't seen the past performances as of yet but will throw in my two cents worth tomorrow.
In years past, so many of the riders came in with no experience riding bull rings but I think the connections figured that out at all of these guys know this oval. G. Mitchell (Emd) comes here often in the Fall, Jake Barton rode here regularly, Stein was leading rider here, Olguin was in the top 5, Simard and Welch both ride the Alberta circuit (all bull rings), Mario Gutierrez is the leading rider this year and Wilson never hurts a horse's chances here.
The Churchill features the older horse of the year last season in Canada: True Metropolitan.