Leading Jockey & Top Trainer Add To Early Season Leads

June 6, 2006

When veteran jockey Pedro Alvarado rode favoured Halo Steven to victory in the $50,000 Jim Coleman Province Handicap it was his third visit to the winner’s circle Sunday afternoon at Hastings Racecourse. Added to his pair of wins Saturday, Alvarado galloped past Dave Wilson as the leading jockey at Hastings by a 26-23 margin.

Halo Steven, a Florida-bred gelding, had recently arrived from Santa Anita under the new ownership of Marta Racing Ventures. The Jim Coleman Province Handicap victory came under the guidance of trainer Terry Jordan, who improved his leading-trainer total to 13 winners through 17 race days. Barb Heads and Terry Clyde are tied in second with nine wins each.

Halo Steven won Sunday’s feature by two lengths over Outrageous Limit for second and Mighty Cahill for third in a field of eight. Potrero Station, finishing fourth, won the Klondike sprint, the first race of the season in the three-year-old derby division.

A total of $1.2 million was wagered on Sunday’s nine-race card and added to the $1.1 million Saturday, it was the most active wagering weekend of the season at Hastings.

The 138th running of the Belmont Stakes goes Saturday and for the first time in six years the field for the final stage of racing’s Triple Crown will not include either the Preakness (Bernardini) or Kentucky Derby (Barbaro) champions. The Belmont will be shown at Hastings via simulcast at 3:33 p.m. Saturday.

For Media & Entertainment Inquiries: Howard Blank @ 604.303.1000