HorseRacing Central June 12, 2009

BACK-TO-BACK CTHS SALES STAKES

You have to love weekends at Hastings Racecourse when there are featured stakes races on consecutive days, as is the case Saturday and Sunday.

They are the annual $50,000 CTHS Sales Stakes with Saturday’s event for 3-year-old fillies over 1 1/16 miles and Sunday’s for 3-year-old colts and geldings, again over 1 1/16 miles. It’s the time of year when graduates of the Canadian Thoroughbred Horse Society (B.C.) get a chance to show their stuff.

The consensus is that Ookster will be the obvious choice Saturday after winning a 1 1/16-mile $50,000 optional on May 30. She is the only horse in the race with a win at the distance. Ookster’s half-brother Ookashada, a multiple stakes winner, will be among the favourites in a $25,000 optional claiming race Saturday. Ookster and Ookashada are owned by Mike Boylan and the TD Stable. Ookster was purchased for $21,000 out of the 2007 CTHS yearling and mixed sale.

Tommy Danzigger is the early favourite for Sunday’s feature, coming off a very good second-place finish to Almost Time in the 6 ½-fulong Jim Coleman Province on May 9. Tommy Danzigger goes into the race as the only horse in the field with a win at the distance. Last year he came from off the pace to beat Gotta Find Bubba in the Ascot Graduation.

WHAT’S ON TAP

Saturday

Action starts early at Belmont Park with the $300,000 Odgen Phipps Handicap (11:36 a.m.) for fillies and mares. We then move on to Churchill Downs where there are five huge stakes on the program starting with Race 7 with the Jefferson Cup. That’s followed by the $100,000 Northern Dancer, the $200,000 Fleur De Lis and the $150,000 Regret. The big one at Churchill is Race 10 wherer the $600,000 feature is the Stephen Foster featuring Einstein, Asiatic Boy and Bullsbay.

At Woodbine on Saturday the added money events include the $125,000 Ballade (1:24 p.m.) for fillies and mares at six furlongs on the grass. Then the stakes action moves west with the $100,000 Round Table (2:00 p.m.) at Hollywood and the big race of the day: the $250,000 Californian (5:00 p.m.) headlining Rail Trip, who had his undefeated streak end in his last start. There will be local interest at Northlands Park as Glen Todd and Patrick Kinsella have Forest Prince (ridden by Mario Gutierrez) in the $50,000 Edmonton Journal Stakes.

Sunday

Two stakes are on Woodbine’s program with the $150,000 Victoria (12:27 p.m.) for 2-year-olds and then the $100,000 Zadracarta Stakes (1:28 p.m.) for fillies and mares on the turf at six furlongs. Two B.C.-owned mares are in a $25,000 claiming event: Stephen McDonald’s Makani matching strides with James Redekop’s Kalua On The Rocks. That one goes at 12:57 p.m.

The Belmont Park feature is the Poker Stakes at a mile on the turf and the 4-5 morning line favourite is Kip Deville, making his first start since being unplaced in the $5 million Dubai Duty Free Handicap.

On the west coast, the talented sprint filly Indian Blessing will be making her return in the $100,000 Desert Stormer (2:30 p.m.) at Hollywood Park. Indian Blessing finished second in the $5 million Golden Shaheen in Dubai.

Completing the out-of-town west coast activity: the $50,000 Wild Rose Handicap at Northlands Park where recent Hastings allowance winner Littlemiss Allison takes on Alberta champion Tanika.

RISING STAR STAKE FINAL AT FRASER

Nine 3-year-old colts and geldings (eight wagering interests) go in the 10th race on Saturday night’s card in the $20,000 Rising Star Stakes Final. The Keith Clark trained entry of Bestnotlie Hanover and Westwood Franco have been installed as the morning line favourite at 2-1. Westwood Franco had reeled off five consecutive wins before being turned out for a brief rest and made it six in a row with a convincing win in a qualifier. The horse with the best chance to defeat the Entry would be Serge Masses’ Minnesota Hanover. He was a narrow loser to Bestnotlie Hanover in his last start.

Masse found the winner’s circles three times last Friday night. New arrival from Alberta – driver Don Monkman, Jr. – won on Saturday night. He is here for the balance of the Fraser Downs meet that runs until the end of June.