The winners of the Emerald Downs Derby and the local Richmond Derby Trial Handicap lead a field of 12 in the $200,000 British Columbia Derby (Can-III) Sept. 11 at Hastings Park. It's Western Canada’s premier event of the year.
R and R Warren’s Jebrica won the Aug. 18 Emerald Downs Derby by 2 3/4 lengths for his first stakes victory. The son of Liberty Gold took over approaching the top of the stretch and won the 1 1/8-mile event in surprising 10-1 fashion.
Trained by Jim Penney, the gelding recently shipped to Hastings, where he recorded a bullet five-furlong work in :59 1/5 Sept. 5 on the main dirt track. Hall of Fame rider Russell Baze, a native of Vancouver, picks up the mount on Jebrica, who was bred in Washington by Mr. and Mrs. Frederick Pabst.
Also returning from the Emerald Downs Derby are the respective second- and third-place finishers, Couldabenthewhisky and Winter Warlock.
Rozamund Barclay’s Northern Causeway enters the 1 1/8-mile race off two consecutive victories, including the Aug. 14 Richmond Derby Trial Handicap at Hastings. The son of Giant's Causeway led from start to finish in that local prep, holding on by a neck over favored Commander, who also returns on Sunday.
Northern Causeway, a shipper from Golden Gate Fields for trainer Len Kasmerski, has won both of his starts on dirt after beginning his career on synthetics and turf.
Commander, trained by Troy Taylor, won an allowance race at Oaklawn Park earlier this year and was sixth in the Northern Spur Stakes. The third-place finisher from the Derby Trial, Arraignment, also returns.
The second-, third-, and fourth-place finishers of the Aug. 20 Canadian Derby (Can-III) at Northlands Park are back for a try at a graded stakes win. Runner-up Northern Indy was beaten 5 1/4 lengths after a poor break. The son of A. P. Indy, based in California for most of the year, won an allowance race at Golden Gate in May and was sixth to Coil in the Affirmed Handicap (gr. III) at Hollywood Park.
Third-place Line Change won an overnight stakes at Delaware Park in June and fourth-place and Inhisglory has two wins at Hastings this season.
$200,000 British Columbia Derby (Can-III, Race 9, 4:55 p.m.), 3YO, 1 1/8 Miles (Dirt)
PP. Horse, Jockey, Weight, Trainer
1. Winter Warlock (WA), D Wilson, 126, T McCanna
2. Inhisglory (KY), R H Hamel, 126, C MacPherson
3. Hurricane Lake (KY), M Garcia, 126, M R Mitchell
4. Couldabenthewhisky (WA), G V Mitchell, 126, B Jenne
5. Jebrica (WA), R A Baze, 126, J Penney
6. Herbie D (BC), C Hoverson, 126, R Gilker
7. Fransor's Finest (KY), A Perez, 126, J Ellickson
8. Line Change (KY), F H Perez, 126, J D Morrison
9. Northern Causeway (KY), W Antongeorgi III, 126, L Kasmerski
10. Commander (KY), M Gutierrez, 126, T Taylor
11. Arraignment (KY), I Cardenas, 126, R Gilker
12. Northern Indy (KY), G Olguin, 126, O J Jauregui