2023 Hastings Thoroughbred Award Winners Share Spotlight at Italian Cultural Centre
2023 Hastings Thoroughbred Award Winners
Share Spotlight at Italian Cultural Centre
by Greg Douglas
When last seen as the annual Hastings Thoroughbred Awards Dinner concluded Wednesday night, April 10, breeder/owner Bill DeCoursey was wheeling out a borrowed Italian Cultural Centre food trolley loaded with trophies and related keepsakes.
For a second consecutive year, the brilliant Infinite Patience dominated the 2023 award ceremonies by sweeping both the BC-bred and Open Horse-of-the-Year honours, in addition to the BC-bred and Open divisions of the Older Filly/Mare categories by dominating the ballot boxes in convincing fashion.
The six-year-old phenom, bred by DeCoursey and co-owned with Edmonton Oilers hockey star Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, won 13 consecutive victories in stakes competition in 2023 under the guidance of last year’s leading trainer Barbara Anderson-Heads. Both DeCoursey and Anderson-Heads were thrilled to share the news that Infinite Patience has been training at Hastings in preparation for a hopeful racing season return in 2024.
Another major multiple salute went to At Attention, owned and bred by Dr. Bryan and Carol Anderson and trained by Anderson-Heads in the Champion Older Male BC-bred and the Champion Older Male Open divisions.
The list of other 2023 winners included: We B Three, Champion Sprinter owned by Willow Creek Farms, trained by Steve Henson, bred by Ole Nielsen; Sunbird, Champion 3-year-old Male Open Division owned Pauline Felicella, trained by Terry Jordan, bred by the late Glen Todd; Legacy Square, Champion 3-year-old Male BC-bred Division owned by Tod Mountain Thoroughbreds and James Redekop, trained by Edgar Mendoza, bred by Christine Ammann; Air Force, Champion 3-year-old Filly BC-bred and Open Divisions owned by Dennis Dale, Morris Peter and Ed Welsh, trained by Keith Pedersen, bred by Paul Caravetta; August Rain, Champion 2-year-old Filly BC-bred and Open Divisions owned by Peter Redekop BC Ltd., trained by Barbara Anderson-Heads, bred by Peter Redekop BC Ltd.; Lizzie’s Rayne, Champion 2-year-old Filly BC-bred and Open Divisions, owned by Renfrew Racing, B&B Racing, Breen Racing, Eugene Chan and Dave Milburn, trained by Dave Milburn, bred by Suzanne Anderson; Bold Arch, Upper Level Claimer of the Year (over $15,000) owned by John and Kim Morrison and Robin Sadler, trained by John Morrison, bred by J. Barry Doud; Bellaroo, Lower Level Claimer of the Year (under $15,000) owned by Jordan Froelich, trained by Dino Condilenios, bred by John T.L. Jones III.
Also making trips to the podium: Leading Breeder Ole Nielsen; Leading Owners: Rob and Sheena Maybin and Willow Creek Farms; Leading Trainer Barbara Anderson-Heads; Leading Jockey Amadeo Perez; Leading Apprentice Jockey Fraser Aebly; Richard Yates Backstretch Award Pat Jarvis; Diamond Award of Excellence Darlene Smith; Hall of Fame Inductees Randy Goulding, Terry Sangara, Tod Mountain Thoroughbreds.
The 45-day Hastings meet is set to launch Saturday, April 27 afternoon with a new 2:30 pm PDT/ 5:30 pm EDT start time. There will be 15 Friday Night cards beginning May 10 and running through September 6, all with 7 pm PDT/10 pm start times. Included on the racing calendar are six Sunday afternoons, two holiday Monday matinee cards on Canada Day July 1 and BC Day August 5, as well as a night card Monday, August 26 during the PNE Fair.