By Bloodhorse
VANCOUVER, B.C. (Sept. 14, 2014) — Favored Alert Bay took command in the drive and posted a comfortable two-length win in the $135,225 British Columbia Derby (Can-III) (VIDEO) at Hastings Racecourse in Vancouver Sept. 14 as owner Peter Redekop won the race for a third straight year.
The California-bred Alert Bay ran the 1 1/8-mile test for 3-year-olds in 1:49.12 on a fast track.
It was the second straight win in Hastings’ signature race for trainer Anita Bolton and jockey Rico Walcott, who teamed in 2013 with Redekop’s Title Contender. Redekop also won the 2012 renewal with Second City, and previously won the race in 1994 with Squire Jones.
Alert Bay, stalking on the outside of front-running Del Rio Harbor and 74-1 shot Off the Top, was always in position for Walcott as the pacesetter unfurled fractions of :22.90, :47.16, and 1:12.08 over the Hastings bullring. The 3-2 favorite, swinging wide around the final bend to get the advantage, took command in the stretch after a 1:36.37 mile and proved much the best.
Koffee Grinder, eighth in the field of 10 while saving ground for much of the running, put together a belated four-wide rally under Richard Hamel to get up for second by two lengths while never threatening the winner. Emerald Downs invader Del Rio Harbor, with Gallyn Mitchell aboard, held on for third, with Off the Top fourth.
Alert Bay has been competing in California throughout his career, winning the Echo Eddie Stakes for state-breds at Santa Anita Park in April. The City Zip gelding was coming off a fifth in the Real Good Deal Stakes as a lukewarm favorite over the Del Mar Polytrack Aug. 1. He had put in two good workouts at Hastings since shipping north.
Trained in California by Blaine Wright, the dark bay was making his first start for Bolton, who was clicking at a 37% win rate coming into the weekend (15-for-41). Alert Bay improved his career mark to 4-4-1 in 10 starts with earnings of $317,378.
Alert Bay was bred by Thomas Newton Bell and Ross John McLeod out of the Dushyantor mare Hickory. He sold for $65,000 as a yearling at the Keeneland January horses of all ages sale to ARB, agent, when consigned by Three Chimneys Sales. Offered at the Keeneland September yearling sale later in the year, he was a $42,000 RNA through consignor Indian Creek.
Under equal weights of 126 pounds, Alert Bay paid $5.10, $3.20, and $2.60, keying a chalky $19.60 exacta. Koffee Grinder, a multiple stakes winner at Hastings for leading trainer Craig MacPherson, returned $4.40 and $3.30 as the 7-2 second choice. Del Rio Harbor, second in the Emerald Downs Derby last time out, paid $3.50.
Off the Top was followed by Remembertobreathe, Slice of Red, Mebossman, Distillery, Tapicero, and Wonder World.