The final day of the 2011 Hastings Racecourse season Oct. 2 features full fields for two of the biggest events of the meet: the $100,000 Ballerina Stakes (Can-III) and the $100,000 British Columbia Premiers Handicap.
The Ballerina, at 1 1/8 miles for fillies and mares, includes a four-horse entry for owner Glen Todd among 12 contestants. The race features a rematch involving the top three finishers in the British Columbia Oaks Sept. 11--Class Included, Castinette Dancer, and Overvalued. The Ballerina is race 8 on the program with a 5:25 p.m. PDT post.
The BC Premiers, which immediately follows, lost its graded status this year but shapes up as a well-matched affair. The race also drew 12 entrants to battle it out over 1 3/8 miles.
Class Included, who registered a four-length victory as the 9-5 favorite in the BC Oaks, ships to the Vancouver track once again for Emerald Downs trainer Jim Penney. The 3-year-old daughter of Include won the Washington Oaks before that as well as the Seattle Handicap during a 2011 campaign that has included three wins and three seconds in six starts. All-time leading rider Russell Baze, who was aboard Class Included in the BC Oaks, makes the trip north once again to ride her.
She faces a four-pronged entry that includes Castinette Dancer as well as Dashing Daisy, Classic Alley Kat, and Summer Song.
Castinette Dancer, a 3-year-old daughter of Ministers Wild Cat , is a three-time stakes winner this season at Hastings, where she has won four of six starts with two seconds for trainer Troy Taylor.
Taylor also saddles Dashing Daisy, who has won three straight and six of her past seven. The 5-year-old Mass Market mare won the Delta Colleen Stakes at Hastings in her most recent start, defeating Ballerina rival Hard Way Ten by a head.
Also part of the entry is Classic Alley Kat, who comes off a front-running 3 3/4-length triumph for red-hot trainer Elizabeth Stolzenberg in the Ladies Express Sept. 11 at Hastings. The 5-year-old daughter of Katahaula has won four of her past five starts. Summer Song ships in from from Northlands Park for trainer Alan May after finishing second as the favorite in the City of Edmonton Distaff Handicap Aug. 20.
Hard Way Ten, trained by Doris Harwood for Herman Sarkowsky, won the Emerald Downs Distaff Handicap Aug. 21 prior to her narrow defeat in the Delta Colleen. Orchid's Silver, just head farther back in third in the Delta Colleen, is also in the Ballerina field.
Swift Thoroughbred's Crew Leader, fourth in the Longacres Mile (gr. III) in August for trainer Dino Condilenios, could go favored in a wide-open BC Premiers. The 4-year-old Pulpit gelding won the S.W. Randall Plate Handicap in July at Hastings and is coming off a third-place effort in the Winston Churchill Handicap as the favorite Sept. 5.
Senor Rojo won the Premiers last year by three-quarters of a length for trainer David Forster and owner Tres Hombres. The 5-year-old Out of Place gelding has won two of seven starts in 2011 and was most recently fifth in the Churchill.
Ganbei, runner-up in the Premiers in 2010, is also in the field though he is winless in eight starts this year for trainer Mel Snow.
Penney ships in with 3-year-old Jebrica, second by a neck in the British Columbia Derby (Can-III) Sept. 11. The Washington-bred son of Liberty Gold won the Emerald Derby in dominating fashion at odds of 10-1 a month earlier while earning a Beyer Speed Figure of 100. Baze has the return call.
Winning Machine and Assessment are two with plenty of back class who appear to be rounding back into form.
$100,000 Ballerina Stakes (Can-III, Race 8, 5:25 p.m.), Fillies & Mares 3 & Up, 1 1/8 Miles
PP. Horse, Jockey, Weight, Trainer
1. a-Castinette Dancer (WA), F H Perez, 120, T Taylor
2. Jezebelle (BC), I E Mosqueira, 123, B Heads
3. Dearest Princess (BC), M Dunn, 123, M Snow
4. a-Summer Song (KY), R H Hamel, 123, T Taylor
5. Hard Way Ten (KY), G V Mitchell, 123, D Harwood
6. a-Classic Alley Kat (BC), L Mawing, 123, E E Stolzenberg
7. Orchid's Silver (BC), I Cardenas, 123, L Dubois
8. Daymaker (KY), C Hoverson, 123, D K Condilenios
9. Class Included (KY), R A Baze, 120, J Penney
10. Wando Woman (BC), F P Fuentes, 123, C Krasner
11. a-Dashing Daisy (BC), M Gutierrez, 123, T Taylor
12. Overvalued (KY), D Wilson, 120, L T McCarthy
a-coupled entry
$100,000 BC Premiers Handicap (Race 9, 5:56 p.m.), 3 & Up, 1 3/8 Miles
PP. Horse, Jockey, Weight, Trainer
1. Commander (KY), M Gutierrez, 113, T Taylor
2. Three Wood (FL), A Perez, 111, P Leaney
3. Crew Leader (KY), C Hoverson, 120, D K Condilenios
4. Silly Fella (BC), I Cardenas, 114, L Dubois
5. Winning Machine (KY), L Mawing, 116, F Lucarelli
6. Senor Rojo (KY), R H Hamel, 117, D Forster
7. Trick of the North (BC), D Wilson, 112, B Heads
8. Almost Time (BC), F P Fuentes, 118, D K Condilenios
9. Ganbei (BC), J Espitia, 110, M Snow
10. Jebrica (WA), R A Baze, 115, J Penney
11. Assessment (KY), G V Mitchell, 117, H Belvoir
12. Finally Kruisin (BC), M Dunn, 110, R Gilker
Class Included won the BC Oaks by 4 lengths.
