Nugent-Hopkins Family Out in Full Force to Witness Career Number 20 Win for Infinite Patience

Infinite Patience Celebrates Career Win # 20 with Family & Friends. Michael Bye Photo.

by Greg Douglas

The tarmac area, grandstands, private party patios and owners’ boxes began to fill up early for BC Cup Day on the August 5 holiday Monday at Hastings Racecourse.

Without a doubt, the most popular question on the minds of thoroughbred racing patrons was: “Do you think there’ll be a Ryan Nugent-Hopkins sighting today?”

Indeed, there was.  The popular, polite and high-profile Edmonton Oilers’ forward was front and centre in the BC Cup Distaff winners’ circle following yet another impressive victory for Infinite Patience, the sensational seven-year-old mare now referred to as the ‘Queen of Hastings’.

Nugent-Hopkins co-owns Infinite Patience with local breeder Bill DeCoursey.  It was career victory number 20 for the four-time winner of the BC Horse of the Year Award trained by Barbara Anderson-Heads.

Not only was the longest-serving player on the Oilers’ NHL roster on hand, he was joined by wife Breanne, baby daughter Lennon Ayla, Ryan’s brother and sister-in-law as well as his parents, Deb Nugent and Roger Hopkins. As always, the faithful DeCoursey clan was on hand, including Bill and wife Noi, their sons and grandson.

The Infinite Patience wire-to-wire finish in the Distaff under jockey Antonio Reyes was one of six $50,000 BC Cup stakes on one of the most exciting cards in recent memory that created a season’s best overall wagering handle of $1,061,584.

Other BC Cup stakes winners included Breezin Brianne in the Debutante, Mount Doom in the Nursery, Avana in the Hong Kong Jockey Club, Space in the Classic and Diocles in the Sir Winston Churchill Derby Trial.

Upcoming highlights on the local thoroughbred scene include the return of the Wiener Dog Races on Saturday, August 10, the CTHS-BC Stakes on August 26, CTHS-BC Yearling & Mixed Sale August 28 at Thunderbird Show Park and the annual highlight of the racing season, BC Derby Day Saturday, September 14.