Krazy Koffee circled the field on the final turn and swept past the leaders in the short homestretch to win the $304,769 British Columbia Derby (Can-III) (VIDEO) Sept. 21 at Hastings Park for his fifth straight win.
The top local hope in the 1 1/8-mile event for 3-year-olds, Krazy Koffee scored his first graded stakes win by a length over Southern California shipper Wink At the Girls. The 6-5 favorite Texas Wildcatter finished third, another length behind.
With David Wilson aboard, Krazy Koffee was reserved off the early pace in seventh while racing on the outside before making a big five-wide move on the far turn as Texas Wildcatter rallied along the inside. Wink At the Girls, ridden by Gerry Olguin, seized the lead from pacesetter Fear No Evil to lead in the stretch, but could not match Krazy Koffee in the final stages while holding off Texas Wildcatter and Chad Hoverson for the runner-up spot. The winning time was 1:50.95 over a fast track.
The 19-1 outsider Fear No Evil set moderate fractions of :23.05, :47.30, and 1:11.87 while maintaining the advantage over Forest Prince and Wink At the Girls, who moved up to challenge on the final turn.
Bred in British Columbia by his owner, Butch Goertzen, Krazy Koffee has raced 10 times in his career, all at Hastings, while winning seven. The British Columbia Derby was the dark bay Regal Intention gelding's fourth consecutive stakes win for trainer Cindy Krasner, all of them coming in route races. Krazy Koffee earned $190,290 for the victory.
Sent off as the second choice, Krazy Koffee paid $8.70, $5.10, and $2.90. He is out of the Skywalker mare Sky West.
Wink At the Girls, who was coming off a nose defeat in a stakes at Fairplex Park Sept. 5, returned $10.90 and $4, capping off a $2 exacta worth $92.60. Wink At the Girls is trained by Rafael Becerra and owned by K.K. Sangara, who teamed with Olguin to win the 2007 British Columbia Derby with Celtic Dreamin.
Texas Wildcatter, favored off his runner-up finish in the Canadian Derby (Can-III) one month ago, was $2.30 to show.
Arkhill finished 3 1/2 lengths farther back in fourth, followed by Papa Time, Dancingall Theway, Bears Home Run, Forest Prince and Fear No Evil.