BC Racebook Newsletter - April 18, 2023
BC THOROUGHBRED RACING
IS BACK on APRIL 30!!
$1.75 M in stakes race purses up for grabs as 2023 Hastings thoroughbred season launches Sunday, April 30
The familiar words “There They Go!” from Hall of Fame track announcer Dan Jukich will again be rebounding off the backdrop of the North Shore Mountains with the return of thoroughbred racing at Hastings Racecourse on Sunday, April 30.
The season will run for 45 live racing dates, including the highly anticipated return of four popular Friday Night cards this summer along with two Monday Night dates during the annual Fair at the Pacific National Exhibition. The schedule includes 28 stakes races with purse money totaling $1.75 million highlighted by the 76th running of the $125,000 Grade 3 BC Derby and 58th running of the $75,000 BC Oaks on Saturday, September 16.
Besides several other marquee stakes, one of the city’s most fashionable events of the summer – The Cup – is set for Saturday, July 22. It will be 13th edition of an exciting day at the races when guests dress Derby-style to enjoy premier seating and popular live music, together with special food and beverage offerings in a party atmosphere that traditionally attracts 10,000 patrons.
Other highlights during the season include BC Cup Day on the August 7 holiday Monday with six stakes races offering a total of $300,000 in purses. That’s followed by the four CTHS stakes on Monday, August 21, the first night card during the PNE Fair. The final two stakes of the season will run on Saturday, October 14, both with new names and purses increased to $75,000: The Glen Todd Fantasy for 2-year-old fillies and The Glen Todd Ascot for 2-year-old colts & geldings.
Hastings Racecourse is also excited to be bringing back the ever-popular dog races, including the beloved wiener dogs, and will feature several other special promotional days throughout the summer.
“Our team has been working tirelessly to create an unforgettable experience for everyone who comes through our gates,” says Nichelle Milner, Regional Manager of Racing Operations. “The track is in excellent condition and our horse population continues to grow. We know that our fans are in for a great time.”
The Hastings Racecourse 2023 Live Racing Calendar and Stakes Schedule are available here.
Bailey on the Backstretch
by Bailey Williams
Often described to young fans as ‘the racetrack lifeguard’, there really isn’t a more perfect comparison to the role of an outrider and outriding pony. Both must enforce rules and safety precautions when things go wrong, responsible for being first on the scene with the knowledge and know-how in an emergency.
Cindy Barroby is the head outrider at both Hastings Racecourse during morning training and also Fraser Downs for evening standardbred racing. It is unanimous among everyone at both tracks: we are all very fortunate to have one of the absolute best in the trade when it comes to being an effective outrider.
With a little bit of luck and whole lot of talent, we have witnessed many jaw-dropping catches by Cindy and her string of outriding ponies. Sassy has the speed and determination to make high-speed catches at Hastings while Captain and Kia also hold their own during the morning training sessions.
But what do you do when you have a pony that desperately wants the job but isn’t quite fast enough to handle the thoroughbreds in those morning drills? “It’s funny,” says Cindy about her 20-year-old partner Copper. “They know when they don’t have the speed for it but Copper is now thriving at Fraser Downs where he shines and loves the work there.”
I witnessed first-hand just how serious Copper is about protecting the horses and drivers on race assignments at Fraser Downs. After a recent minor morning mishap at Hastings, I had the very big boots to fill as a stand-in for Cindy for a night of racing at Fraser Downs.
The thing I found most amazing was the fact I did not once have to turn my head to watch where the horses were because once in position, Copper turns and positions himself with his head up and eyes on the field.It is not only a testament to Copper’s ability but to the training, time and expertise Cindy shares with each of her partners to make the role of a ‘racetrack lifeguard’ look so effortless.
Racing Column to Return to
The Province Newspaper
By Greg Douglas – Dr. Sport
From groom and hot walker to assistant racing secretary and eventually Director of Racing, the journey Randy Goulding has travelled at Hastings Racecourse dating back to the mid-1970s has been, in a word, incredible.
And now, after stepping down as a Daily Racing Form correspondent for more than 20 years, Goulding is taking on another challenge that will contribute in no small way to the thoroughbred industry in British Columbia.
He’ll be writing a weekly racing column appearing every Friday in The Province sports pages throughout the entire 2023 Hastings season. It debuts Friday, April 28 prior to opening day at Hastings Racecourse on Sunday afternoon, April 30.
The Goulding name is golden in local racing circles. Greg Goulding had been filing Hastings statistical data to the Daily Racing Form while he was attending his first year of law studies at UBC. Randy replaced him at DRF in 1976 when Greg returned to California to complete law school. Today he divides his time between the beaches in Mazatlan and the track in Vancouver, where he works as one of Hastings’ morning clockers.
The youngest sibling, the late Larry Goulding, was introduced to the business as a groom in the Mel Snow barn, then became an assistant trainer for Mike Drozdowski and eventually Hastings’ official photographer, where he gained a reputation as one of the best in the trade.
During Randy’s career at DRF, he covered the Hastings’ scene, Emerald Downs and both tracks in Alberta. More recently, his handicapping expertise has led to his selections being printed for several major tracks in North America. His working assignments through the years have taken him to all of the Southern California racetracks as well as Belmont Park, Churchill Downs and Gulfstream Park.
For the better part two decades The Province newspaper published a popular weekly column called ‘Hoss Talk” by former jockey Tom Wolski, who suffered a fatal heart attack in January 2020 while visiting his sister in Naples, Florida. Wolski had retired with more than 500 wins at various tracks in North America and was inducted into the BC Horse Racing Hall of Fame in 2014.
Postmedia deputy editor Paul Chapman played a key role introducing and mentoring the Wolski column and was the guest decorator for the Tom Wolski Memorial Race at Hastings Racecourse last October 15th. That was when Chapman began considering the return of a weekly racing column to The Province sports pages and after becoming aware of Randy Goulding’s background and availability, things quickly fell into place.
Outlaw C My Shadow Scores 10th Straight Win
Outlaw C My Shadow pushed his win streak into double-digit territory with another standout score in the $10,000 Open Handicap Pace at Fraser Downs on an eventful Friday night (April 7).
Despite being ordered outside of his rivals for the fourth straight week, Outlaw C quickly took control once again for regular reinsman Brandon Campbell and the popular pacer cruised through fractions of :27.3, :56.1 and 1:23.1 with the field strung out down the backstretch. Turning for home, 2-1 second choice Itll Be Fine (Kelly Hoerdt) was the only one within reach, but Outlaw C My Shadow opened up 4-1/4 lengths on that foe down the stretch and stopped the clock in 1:51.4. Waitin Ona River (Kevin Anderson) was the best of the rest, finishing more than 10 lengths behind.
Outlaw C My Shadow has dominated the Open ranks going eight-for-eight at the current meet after back-to-back victories last year kicked off his winning crusade for trainer and breeder Connie Kolthammer, who co-owns as part of the Outlaw West Stable. The six-year-old Shadow Play-Grand Slam Woman gelding's streak accounts for half of his lifetime wins. He's earned $175,322 from 90 career starts.
Fraser Downs will continue action on Thursday, Mar. 23.
April 8, 2023 01:36 am EDT, Standardbred Canada.
