Dual grade III winner Title Contender could continue his recent success in Canada Oct. 14 at Hastings Racecourse, when he goes up against eight others in the $100,000 British Columbia Premier's Handicap (Can-III) on the Vancouver oval's Columbus Day card.
Purchased privately by Vancouver businessman Peter Redekop from Gary and Mary West, Title Contender was turned over to trainer Anita Bolton after a one-length win in the Ohio Derby (gr. III) for Wayne Catalano . The 3-year-old Pulpit gelding ran a disappointing 11th in the 1 3/8-mile Canadian Derby (Can-III) on a sloppy track Aug. 17 at Northlands Park. But he rebounded as a 10-1 outsider Sept. 8 to take Hasting's 1 1/8-mile British Colombia Derby (Can-III) by 4 3/4 lengths.
Now facing older horses, Title Contender will be joined by Swift Thoroughbreds' Shooting Jacket, a Hard Spun gelding, as the only sophomores in the field. Rico Walcott gets the mount aboard Title Contender from post 4. Shooting Jacket, who was third in the Canadian Derby but fifth in the British Columbia Derby for trainer Dino Condilenios, breaks from post 8 under Frank Perez Fuentes.
Swift Thoroughbreds and Condilenios also have 112-pound lightweight Iscar in this race, a 5-year-old Bernardini gelding who was third last time out for a $20,000 tag at Hastings Sept. 21.
Highweighted at 122 pounds is North American Thoroughbred Horse Company's Commander, who won this race in 2012 for a bid at the Breeders' Cup Marathon (gr. II) in which he was ninth. The 5-year-old gelded son of Broken Vow won three stakes in a row this summer at Hastings, taking the Spangled Jimmy Handicap (a race he also won in 2012), the Fred Jones Handicap, and his second Westerner Handicap for trainer Troy Taylor. He was second last time out when attempting to defend his 2012 title in the S.W. Randall Plate Handicap Sept. 8. Aaron Gryder rides from the rail.
Wilo Kat won the 1 1/8-mile S.W. Randall Plate by two lengths for Wayne Oliver, Rob Fiorvento, Cowboys n Indians Stables, and Bill Randall. The 4-year-old Katahaula County runner, trained by John Snow, was fourth in the BC Premier's Handicap in 2012.
Russell and Lois Bennett's Brass and Gold, a homebred 4-year-old by Sungold, was third in the S.W. Randall and won the Aug. 5 Redekop British Columbia Cup Classic Handicap before that for trainer Barbara Heads.
Toccetive, a 4-year-old son of Toccet, is the 2012 Canadian Derby winner who followed that victory up with a win in the Speed to Spare Stakes at Northlands Park in September 2012, but has not won since then. He was second in this year's Speed to Spare Sept. 9, third in the Westerner, and fourth in the Fred Jones for Southview Ag 1998 Ltd. and trainer Dale Greenwood.
Tres Hombres and George Gilbert's 7-year-old Out of Place gelding Senor Rojo won the Speed to Spare by 2 1/4 lengths and was second in the Westerner and third in the Fred Jones. He won the 2010 BC Premier's and will be making his 45th start on Monday. David Forster trains.
Washington-bred Jebrica, runner-up in this race in 2012 and winner in 2011, completes the field for R and R Warren and trainer Jim Penney. The 5-year-old Liberty Gold gelding comes off a third in allowance company at Emerald Downs. He won the Budweiser Handicap at Emerald earlier this year.
$100,000 BC Premier's Handicap (gr. III, race 7, approximate post time 4:50 p.m. PDT), 1 3/8 miles (dirt)
PP, Horse, Jockey, Weight, Trainer
1. Commander (KY), A.T. Gryder, 122, T Taylor
2. Iscar (KY), A.A. Reyes, 112, D K Condilenios
3. Jebrica (WA), W. Antongeorgi III, 117, J Penney
4. Title Contender (KY), R. W. Walcott, 116, A Bolton
5. Senor Rojo (KY), R.H. Hamel, 119, D Forster
6. Wilo Kat (BC), A. Perez, 117, J Snow
7. Toccetive (KY), E.A. Gonzalez, 118, D Greenwood
8. Shooting Jacket (KY), F.P. Fuentes, 113, D K Condilenios
9. Brass and Gold (BC), S. Williams, 115, B Heads
