HorseRacing Central December 3, 2010
JUST FICTION … OR IS SHE FOR REAL?
Two-time stakes winner Just Fiction will try to make it eight wins from eight career starts tonight at Fraser Downs Racetrack & Casino in the $40,000 BC Stallion Stakes for 2-year-old fillies. It goes as the 11th race on a 12-race program that begins at 7:00 p.m.
Owned by JJJ Stables and Al Anderson, Just Fiction has earnings in 2010 of almost $52,000 after winning both the BC Sales Stakes in mid-October and the BC Breeders Stakes on November 11. Ed Hensley, last year’s leading driver and on top of the pack again this season, is expected to have Just Fiction on the lead early from post 2 with her main competition coming from Cristina Lake.
The other half of the featured twin bill is the $40,000 BC Stallion Stakes for 2-year-old colts and geldings. This one goes as race 10 on tonight’s card with a field of six and five wagering interests, with the entry of Remain Silent (Kevin Anderson) and Midnight Destroyer (Dave Hudon) listed as a 9/5 favourite. BC Sales Sakes winner Just Ryan (Michael Hennessy), the only other multiple winner in the race, is expected to be the second betting favourite.
PASSING LANE IN THE WORKS AT THE DOWNS
Director of Racing Jackson Wittup is hopeful that a passing lane will be added to the Fraser Downs track configuration early into the 2011 standardbred season. “It’s something our horsemen have been supporting and we’re going forward with a plan,” Wittup says. “It simply would give more horses a shot at winning.”
The whole purpose of a passing lane is to allow horses that are locked-in to have a competitive chance during the stretch drive. The addition of a passing lane on the 5/8 mile track will be in place for the Western Regional Driving Championships on Saturday, Feb. 26. Standardbred Canada announced earlier that Red Shores Racetrack at Charlottetown Driving Park in Prince Edward Island is hosting the 2011 National Driving Championships on May 7.
Fraser Downs Racetrack & Casino, has a full schedule of entertainment events slated for the holiday season. 24 Days of Holiday Cheer offers daily hot seat draws through Dec. 24 with a total of $20,000 up for grabs. Every Wednesday in the Clubhouse throughout December is an 8 p.m. Karoke Dance Party and $2,400 is in the kitty every week at the Twilight Tuesday Slot Tournament.
THOROUGHBRED AWARDS DINNER NEXT WEEK
The top thoroughbreds from the 2010 season at Hastings Racecourse will be honoured at the annual Awards Dinner on Friday, Dec. 10 at Hastings. There are still a few tickets available ($70) by contacting cgossen@gmail.com or cthsbc@cthsbc.org
Besides recognizing the amazing feats at track level from last year, several individuals will also be honoured including leading trainer for a fourth straight year, Troy Taylor; leading jockey Richard Hamel and leading apprentice Ryan Pacheco and top owners Glen Todd and Patrick Kinsella. Mr. Taylor will also be inducted into the B.C. Horse Racing Hall of Fame along with super star Dancewithavixen, one of the most dominant 3-year-old fillies ever to run at Hastings with seven stakes victories to her credit. Dancewithavixen was bred and owned by Cliff Baldwin and trained by the late Tom Longstaff.
OUT OF TOWN SCOREBOARD
The Woodbine thoroughbred season at Woodbine winds down Sunday and re-opens in the spring. Turfway opened this week and will be in the Kentucky spotlight until Keeneland starts again in April. Tampa Bay gets its season underway on Dec. 11 and the fall/winter meet at Aqueduct shifts to the inner track starting Wednesday.
HONG KONG INTERNATIONAL RACES
Fans of Hong Kong racing should mark down Saturday, Dec. 11 – International Day – when many of the top North American horses and riders take part in the annual celebration. Four featured races are on the card from Sha Tin Racecourse: the Hong Kong Cup, Hong Mile, Hong Kong Vase and the Hong Kong Sprint.
World-wide television coverage begins at 9:00 p.m. PST.
SUPER HIGH 5 EXPANDS TO FOUR MORE TRACKS
Steadily gaining in popularity, the Super High 5 wagering now includes Turfway, Sunland, Calder and Tampa Bay. Already in the mix are Balmoral, Churchill, Golden Gate, Fair Grounds, Hawthorne, Hollywood and Maywood. Patrons are invited to pick the top five horses in a designated race.
