Doughnuts and perogies: Friday racing, then start of PNE marks change in schedule at Hastings Racecourse

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People hanging around Hastings Racecourse are going to have a hard time keeping their waistlines down when the PNE starts on Saturday. After all, it’s impossible to ignore the smell of the mini doughnuts drifting over from the fairgrounds. It’s also difficult not to stop at Hunky Bill’s where — since 1967 — the Konyk family has been serving sausages, perogies and cabbage rolls. Comfort food at its finest.

With the start of the PNE there is a change in the live racing schedule at Hastings. Following Friday’s seven-race card, there is a break in the action until Monday, Aug. 26. The good news about Monday is the parking is free. After that the next live day of racing is Friday, Sept. 6, when the usual two-day a week schedule returns until the meet ends on Oct. 20. On Sept. 6 it will be the last Friday evening card with Sundays starting on Sept. 15. Post times Sundays will be 2:30 p.m.

Despite the lack of live racing, there is plenty of action at Hastings with simulcast racing every day. Admission is free for simulcasting and there is no charge for people wanting to play the slots in the casino.

B.C. Derby Day is on Saturday, Sept. 14. The Grade 3, $125,000 Derby will attract the best three-year-olds in Western Canada. It will be a great day of racing with the $100,000 Jack Diamond Futurity, $100,000 Sadie Diamond Futurity, and $75,000 British Columbia Oaks being part of the stakes rich card.

Trainer Barbara Heads and owner Peter Redekop have the Derby and Oaks pencilled in on their calendar. Assuming everything goes well, Avana will be a prohibitive favourite in the Oaks and August Rain will be one of the favourites in the Derby.

First things first, though. Heads is invading Alberta on Saturday, Aug. 24, where she is hoping to take Century Mile by storm on their biggest day of racing. There is an excellent chance she will.

There is no telling how good Avana is and she will be a very short price to win the $100,000 Century Casino Oaks. Infinite Patience has yet to lose in Alberta and following her sharp win in the B.C. Cup Distaff at Hastings, she appears to be sitting on a big effort in the $75,000 Northlands Park Distaff. The B.C-bred daughter of Sungold won the last three renewals of the Distaff. At Attention will get noticed in the $100,000 Speed to Spare. He won the mile-and-a-quarter race in 2022 and didn’t have a great trip while finishing fourth last year. And last but not least, the five-time stakes winner August Rain, who finished third by a neck in the Sir Winston

Churchill on B.C. Cup Day, will have a big shot in the Canadian Derby. Last year Heads and Redekop won the mile-and-a-quarter race with Abelievinthislivin.

“I hope we do as well as last year,” said Heads. “They are all doing great, especially Infinite Patience. It was hard to get her racing fit this spring, but she really started to come around when she finished second in the Monashee. Her win in the B.C. Cup Distaff really picked her head up and she is full of confidence right now.”

Just how good Avana is remains to be seen. So far she has been very good, winning all four of her races at Hastings in impressive fashion. Chalk players were concerned when she dropped back to last in the Hong Kong Jockey Club on B.C. Cup Day. However, when leading rider Amadeo Perez gave Avana her cue going down the backstretch, there wasn’t much doubt about the outcome of the mile-and-a-sixteenth race.

“I don’t know if she took herself back or it was Amadeo,” said Heads. “I trust Amadeo so I wasn’t too concerned.”

Friday selections: First race 7 p.m.

Race 3: Finding Ways chased a wicked pace and a tough horse in Bold Arch in his last start and fits a lot better in this spot. He’s versatile and can either take them all the way or sit just off the other speed. Either way he figures to be tough to beat with Silvino Morales riding for trainer Nancy Betts.

Race 7: Broke and Broken drops into an easier spot and is reunited with jockey Antonio Reyes who was aboard for two of his three wins last year for trainer Terry Jordan. Broke An Broken will appreciate the extra yardage and was on his toes when he worked a sharp half-mile Sunday.

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