The Evolution of Hastings Park · 16 days ago
My good friend Tim recently sent me a couple of images taken from back issues of the American Racing Manual. They show the alignment of the Hastings Park racecourse before and after its 1965 renovation.
Racing history nerds might recall that this was not the first time the track at Hastings had been renovated. When it opened in 1892 the course was a half-mile oval, 19 feet lower near the far turn than at the clubhouse, and it remained as such for over half a century. On the left is how it looked in 1919 (City of Vancouver Archives photo CVA 1123-1).
In 1948 the track was expanded to five furlongs. To do this the course had to be shifted and rotated slightly to the southwest, forcing the demolition of the old roller-coaster and some of the Pacific National Exhibition buildings visible in the 1919 image. The “new” racecourse was slightly egg-shaped, as can be seen in this image from the 1964 ARM — what can’t be seen is that it still sloped slightly downhill.
Prior to the 1965 racing season the B.C. Jockey Club undertook another major renovation. A new 5000-seat grandstand was built. More importantly, the track was finally leveled properly (according to legend a number of wrecked cars from the PNE Demolition Derby were used as landfill to raise the north end of the course); the far turn was expanded to make it even with the clubhouse turn; and the homestretch was straightened. A later edition of the ARM showed a regular oval at Hastings (left), with the unusual circumference of five furlongs and 208 feet. See Google Maps for the track’s actual alignment.
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Stayers' Watch: Gallant Fox Handicap (cancelled) (again) · 17 days ago
Yes folks, you read that right. Just like last year, Aqueduct’s 1 5/8 mile Gallant Fox Handicap was cancelled when only two horses were entered in the race.
I was ready to go off on a rant about this — it feels like just another step towards turning the Thoroughbred into a glorified quarter-horse — but I just don’t have the heart at this time. So, for what it’s worth…
Champion Stayer Award standings — FINAL STANDINGS:
- Sanagas — 18
- Musketier — 18
- Winchester — 14
- Bourbon Bay — 14
- Birdrun — 12
- Juniper Pass — 12
- St Nicholas Abbey — 10
- Ruler On Ice — 10
- Sarah Lynx — 10
- Cape Blanco — 10
- Wigmore Hall — 10
- Imponente Purse — 10
- Rahy’s Attorney — 10
- Falcon Rock — 10
- Simmard — 10
For the first time, we have a tie for the title of Unofficial Champion Stayer. Both Sanaga and Musketier have 18 points. We at Left Coast Racing will review the 2011 race results for these two fine stayers, and render a decision.
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Stayers' Watch: Valedictory Stakes · 45 days ago
Woodbine’s traditional closing-day feature is the 1 3/4 mile Valedictory Stakes (Gr. III). Run on 4 December, this year’s winner was Eagle Poise, who ran down Harrods Creek in the stretch to score by a head.
Coming into the race, Eagle Poise was the 3-1 third choice behind Eye of the Leopard and Breeders’ Cup Marathon winner Afleet Again. In the Valedictory, he raced in fourth through the early furlongs, as longshot Getta Rhythm set a moderate pace for the first 10 furlongs(49.81 for the half-mile, 1:41.77 for the mile). Harrods Creek sat in second, then challenged as the field approached the final turn and took over at the quarter pole. Meanwhile, Eye of the Leopard and Eagle Poise both rallied on the turn, but in the stretch it was Eagle Poise who nailed Harrods Creek approaching the wire. Eye of the Leopard finished third and Afleet Again a distant fourth. The running time was 2:57.62 — .65 faster than the previous Polytrack record, set by Marsh Side in the 2006 Valedictory.
Champion Stayer Award standings — update:
No changes among the leaders. The final stayers’ stakes of 2011 is the Gallant Fox, scheduled for 31 December at Aqueduct.
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Stayers' Watch: La Prevoyante Handicap II · 49 days ago
In this installment of Stayers’ Watch we acknowledge the unusual case of a stakes race being run twice in one year. The La Prevoyante Handicap (gr. IIIT) was first run this year at Calder Racetrack on 2 January — originally set to be run in the fall of 2010, it was re-scheduled as the final stakes race of the 2010-11 Calder season. This time, Calder is closing its meet a month earlier than usual after a schedule change, so the race was moved again.
On 2 December, Casablanca Smile wired the field to take the second running of the La Prevoyante of the year. Ironically, the five-year-old mare’s last race had been in the January running of the La Prevoyante, where she finished second. This time, she got off to an uncontested lead, rated kindly under jockey Javier Castellano, and scored by 1 1/2 lengths over Mr. Ryder, who chased the winner all the way but couldn’t catch her. Tesoro de Amor finished third. Casablanca Smile’s time for 1 1/2 miles on Calder’s firm turf course was 2:31.51.
Champion Stayer Award standings — update:
No changes among the leaders.
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Stayers' Watch: W.L. McKnight Handicap · 58 days ago
If it’s not one German-bred stayer featured on “Stayers’ Watch”, it’s another. On 26 November Musketier took the W. L. McKnight Handicap (gr. IIT) at Calder, after a perfect trip guided by jockey Luis Saez. The nine-year-old gray gelding saved ground behind early leaders Gondorf and Scottish Coast, then was able to slip through along the inside on the turn for home. He held off his late-charging stablemate Simmard, who had raced wide most of the way, to win by a half-length. For his part, 6-5 favorite Winchester was forced to the rear of the pack around the half-way mark and forced wide at the top of the stretch, but was still able to rally in the late going to finish third. Final time on Calder’s “firm” turf course: 2:28.25.
The McKnight was Musketier’s third long-distance victory of the year, after the Elkhorn Stakes in April and the Singspiel Stakes in June. He also finished second in the Pan American Stakes in March.
Champion Stayer Award standings — update:
- Sanagas — 18
- Musketier — 18
- Winchester — 14
- Bourbon Bay — 14
- Birdrun — 12
- Juniper Pass — 12
- St Nicholas Abbey — 10
- Ruler On Ice — 10
- Sarah Lynx — 10
- Cape Blanco — 10
- Wigmore Hall — 10
- Imponente Purse — 10
- Rahy’s Attorney — 10
- Falcon Rock — 10
- Simmard — 10
