Saddling three winners in an afternoon is a special occasion for any trainer, but when two of the winners are also owned and bred by the same trainer, it’s a whole other level of satisfaction.
And, when the two homebreds in question are siblings from the same mare, then it is probably safe to assume that trainer Christine Ammann’s Monday afternoon hat-trick at Hastings will live long on her personal highlights’ reel.
The two-year-old filly REA MEA (Lent) was the first of Ammann’s three, handling the three-and-a-half furlong speed test with aplomb while shooting down a handful of better-fancied rivals in the process.
STAY FANTASTIC (Stay Thirsty), who Ammann trains for her main patron Tod Mountain Thoroughbreds, took the penultimate race of the Monday card before the barn then struck in the nightcap with SHRUG’S LOVE (Shrug) who, like Rea Mea, is out of the winning Tiznow mare, STRANGELOVE.
Strangelove was bought in Keeneland by Swift Thoroughbreds and raced by them at Hastings. Interestingly, the mare is from the same family as Glen Todd’s BC Derby hero, FIVE STAR GENERAL (Distorted Humor).
Hammann’s treble moved her on to four winners for the young season, joint-third numerically behind Steve Henson (4), Glen Todd (5) and Barb Heads (6).
Heads’ impressive total was supplemented away from Hastings last Friday when the in-form barn’s day trip to Edmonton ended with SUNBURST (Sungold) landing the $40,000 RedTail Landing Stakes.
The barn’s winning run continued back at headquarters. SYNERGY (Sungold), who like Sunburst is bred and raced by “RJ” and Lois Bennett, followed up his opening weekend victory by taking Monday’s feature event, the $40,000 Chris Loseth Handicap Stakes, while yet another Bennett homebred, the three-year-old BACK ALLEY CAT (Sungold), broke his maiden on Tuesday.
Heads then landed the nightcap on the same day with BAMBOO ELEVEN (Cause To Believe), who followed up on her opening week second-place finish for owner Praven Sorensen.
Supernaturel Stakes
Sunday’s feature race, the $40,000 Supernaturel Stakes went to the BC-bred FLORAL. Owned by Michal Jilek, Craig Winnick and breeders, Canyon Farms, Floral took the contest for handler Craig MacPherson and rider Alex Marti with less fuss than perhaps the form guide suggested. The daughter of Stone Ridge Farms stallion BAKKEN (Distorted Humor) only broke her maiden tag last October and won the Supernaturel off the back of a week-1 prep race.
BC-breds
Floral was a significant contributor to another bumper couple of days for BC-breds. Impressively, 13 of the 16 contests were won by horses bred in the Province, while the Rob Maybin-owned-and-trained APPELLANT (Midnight Lute) was bred in Kentucky by Glen Todd – of which there have been a few already this season.
Now pensioned, CAUSE TO BELIEVE (Maria’s Mon) continues to be represented by winners on a regular basis. Bamboo Eleven was his third at Hastings this week, along with the magnificently consistent GENOA BAY (who got trainer Pat Jarvis off the mark for the year) and FOURTOWIN. The latter’s victory was a second on the bounce this season (and a third consecutively) for the John Snow barn and owners Gordon Christoff, Ron and Ryan Basran and James Galbraith.
SMART DEAL (Skimming) stepped up on a third-place finish on opening day to double trainer Mel Snow’s total for the young season and catapult him into the top ten on the standings list.
Starting gate issues
“Twink” Baumgartner’s stable has also been in good form already and she greeted SUZY MASCARA (Second in Command) back to the winner’s circle for the second time this season. The White House Stables homebred followed up an eye-catching win earlier in the month and is an improving sort - although how this race would have turned out without the debacle at the starting gate is anyone’s guess.
Nothing should be taken away from the winner, but the chaos at the start made for embarrassing viewing and could easily have resulted in serious injury to any of the horses or riders involved. It was reassuring, therefore, to learn that the management team has promised a review of the incident.
New racing dates
Beginning on August 2, racing at Hastings will be held on Sundays and Thursdays with the first race scheduled for 4:30 pm on both days. One of the very few positives of spectators not being allowed to attend the racecourse is the flexibility that gives racing’s rulers to run on days that might help boost betting turnover. Any initiative that attempts to addresses the downturn in handle is obviously very welcome.
Prize-money
Purses at Hastings will also receive a small, but very welcome, boost it was announced this week. Going forward, there will be a little more money for $6,250 claimers who will now race for $8,500, while $8,000 claimers will run for $9000.00. The increases are effective from August 2. Management has also increased all $40,000 Stakes contests to $50,000, effective the same day.