“If He’s Healthy, He’ll Run Here”

April 25, 2006

The most celebrated horse ever to appear at Hastings Racecourse is currently scheduled to run in the $250,000 B.C. Derby on September 24.

Cause to Believe, the classy three-year-old California colt owned by Vancouver’s Peter Redekop, will race in the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville on May 6. And if there aren’t any health issues, Mr. Redekop has pledged to bring him to Vancouver.

"To have a horse run in the Kentucky Derby and our B.C. Derby a few months apart is fantastic," says Hastings Race Secretary Lorne Mitchell.

When Cause to Believe finished third in the Illinois Derby April 8 at Hawthorne in Chicago, Mr. Redekop - a fierce competitor - said that a trip to the Kentucky Derby was out of the question. But after conferring with trainer Jerry Hollendorfer and 25 per cent owner Peter Abruzzo, Redekop changed his mind.

Prior to Illinois, Cause to Believe had won the California Derby, bringing his record to six wins and three seconds in nine starts for career earnings of almost $340,000. He beat Blue Grass Derby winner Sinister Minister in the California Derby and Sinister Minister has since been established as a strong contender for the 132nd running of the 20-horse Kentucky Derby field.

Mr. Redekop has been a supporter of thoroughbred racing at Hastings for nearly 40 years. He recently committed an additional $25,000 in purse money (bringing it up to $100,000) for the BC Cup Classic over the next five years with an option to continue the arrangement for an additional five years. The BC Cup Classic for 3-year-olds & up bred in B.C. or owned by a B.C. resident is the highlight of BC Cup Day on Monday, August 7.

Regular racing is set for Saturday and Sunday this weekend starting at 1:25 p.m.

For Media & Entertainment Inquiries: Howard Blank @ 604.303.1000