Michael Bye photo - SYNERGY

There were 59 races run at Hastings in September, with BC-bred horses winning no less than 33 of those.

However, the two biggest wins for horses bred in the Province came the other side of the Rockies on Canadian Derby day at Edmonton.

Trainer Barb Heads saddled SANGRIA (Sungold) to win the $75,000 Black Type Century Casino Oaks under Rico Walcott and then, just an hour later, legged-up Antonio Whitehall to win the $75,000 Listed Northfields Distaff Handicap on SUNBURST (Sungold).

Both fillies are owned and were bred by “RJ” and Lois Bennett, who also stand the duo’s sire, Sungold. There can be few more satisfying feelings in racing and breeding than being so involved in every aspect of “creating” quality winners and, not for the first time this year and countless seasons previously, many congratulations are due to Mr. and Mrs. Bennett.

The two valuable victories on Derby night (the same team also sent out the pictured SYNERGY (Sungold) to finish fourth in the big race) helped propel SUNGOLD (A. P. Indy) into the top 15 on the nation’s leading sire list - which is something of an achievement when considering the number of quality sires and prize-money available in Ontario.

Sitting several places above Sungold on the general table is the Stone Ridge Farms’ stallion, BAKKEN (Distorted Humor). The young sire has made real waves at Hastings this season, with five wins in September alone and he is now the leading second-season stallion in the whole of Canada by individual winners.

BC-bred horses had quite the Derby night at Edmonton. Between Barb Heads’ two big winners, the Sandra Loseth-bred NORTHERN JAGER (Lent) broke his maiden for trainer Allen Goodsell, while the evening’s final two events went to horses bred in our Province.

TRANSPLANT (Sir Gallovic) landed the fifth win of his career for breeders North American Thoroughbred Horse Company (NATHC) and Mark Dedomenico by taking the penultimate race and then, to put a nice full stop to proceedings, the CTHS Yearling Sale graduate ADRIEN’S AURORA brought the curtain down with a near six-length romp for trainer Ron Grieves.

The four-year-old gelding by SECOND IN COMMAND (Silver Deputy) was yet another winner this season produced by White House Stables – this one in partnership with George Robbins and out of the former broodmare of the year, CHILLI CHINES (Katowice).

The foreshortened racing season at Hastings ends this week with the leading trainer title still up for grabs. Mark Cloutier and Glen Todd are both on 19 wins apiece with, respectively, five and four bullets left to fire on Thursday. The to-and-fro race adds further spice to an already exciting-looking 14-race card.

Meanwhile, Todd’s NATHC has leading owner honours stitched up both numerically and in terms of prize-money won, while Amadeo Perez will be crowned leading rider.

Finally, to call this season “difficult” for everyone involved would be to minimize the hardship many have had to go through. If there is a silver lining, it is that few can harbor any doubts as to where Hasting now sits in the pecking order of British Columbian industries, or how difficult the road ahead is likely to be.

Many people have worked tirelessly and thanklessly to ensure there was a Hastings’ racing season at all. However, it has also been sobering to witness other Provinces make more than the best of a bad job. Moving forward we can, and must, learn from them.

Racing and breeding in British Columbia can only start again from this point with the knowledge that every long and arduous journey begins with a single step.