Rick Hedge’s stomach was twisting and turning like an upcoming K-Days midway ride.
Two days before Saturday’s $50,000 R.K. ‘Red’ Smith Handicap at Century Mile his star filly Big Hug was sick.
“She was blah. She wouldn’t eat. She had a mild temperature. I was thinking of scratching her,” said Hedge.
“But she improved a lot on Friday and then was way better again on Saturday morning,” said Hedge, who would never run a horse that wasn’t 100 per cent especially a horse as talented as Big Hug, last year’s Alberta Horse of the Year.
“Whew,” exhaled Hedge, after Big Hug crossed the finish line a half length in front of Vancouver invader Sunblaze, who comes out of Alberta giant killer Barbara Heads barn.
“Maybe now I can relax.”
Settling into third place during the early going, Big Hug prompted the pace set by Maturity Date, took the lead midway around the final turn and zipped into a clear lead.
At that point it looked like game, set and match.
But nobody told Sunblaze, who trailed the field during the early going under top B.C. jockey Amadeo Perez. Coming up the rail, Sunblaze kept biting into Big Hug’s lead. Two lengths became one; one length became half a length and then they were almost on even terms and it looked like Sunblaze was going to post the upset.
“I think once Big Hug saw Sunblaze coming to her inside she rebroke and took off again,” said Hedge.
It certainly appeared that way.
Ridden by Jose Asencio in place of injured jockey Raffy Zenteno Jr., this was Big Hug’s second Red Smith victory having also won last year’s edition. But then Big Hug - with 15 career wins in 29 starts - has won just about every race she has contended with this last victory putting her career earnings over $525,000 for owners Hedge and Lori and Martin Neyka’s Empire Equestrian.
Not bad for a horse purchased for just $3,400 at the 2021 Alberta Yearling Sale.
Big Hug, who spent most of the winter campaigning in California against Graded mares, ran the mile and an eighth Red Smith in 149.40 - not far off the track record held by Smart Fix since 2019.
“I thought she ran great; she’s still just learning,” Heads said of Sunblaze, who was making just her eighth career start.
Heads wasn’t finished. She also won an allowance race on Saturday with venerable At Attention - by a head over a determined Flashfordani.
And then she had Apprehend in Saturday’s other stake - the $75,000 Century Mile.
Coming into the Mile, which was contested at a mile and 70 yards, Apprehend had won four in a row.
But he hadn’t raced this year and now was going a distance.
It didn’t matter. Under a clever ride by Perez, Apprehend, who started from the outside ninth post, got into a good striking position on the rail anyway.
But he still had to make up four lengths on Itsallgoodman, who ran a big race and who had inherited the lead when pace setter Ticket to the Top yielded at the top of the lane.
Mission accomplished. Apprehend made up that ground in a hurry running on to an impressive three and three-quarter length win.
Apprehend’s time of 1:39.83 was a track record for the seldom used mile and 70-yard distance. The previous record of 1:40.22 was set by At Attention a few races earlier.
“I chose not to sprint him,” said Heads. “He’s a much better horse going long.”
The odds-on-favourite, Apprehend paid $3.50 to win - his eighth career victory in 15 starts for owner Peter Redekop, who purchased him privately in California in 2022.
Apprehend, B.C.’s champion older horse last year, has now won $358,000.
“He’s a nice horse,” she said of Apprehend, who almost retired in 2023 because of a tendon injury.
“He didn’t run at all in 2023,” said Heads of the six-year-old.
The Century Mile Handicap gave Heads two wins and a second on the program.
“I’ve got lots to work with,” said Heads, who is always extremely successful sending horses from B.C. to Alberta.
“I really have to thank Madison Zielke and her team. They looked after my three horses when we shipped in from Vancouver on Wednesday. I didn’t get to Edmonton until Friday. They did a great job.”
STOCK REPORT
Revenge was the theme at Calgary’s Century Downs in Saturday’s two harness stakes. Custard Dolce returned to top form winning the $54,200 Marquis for three-year-old fillies by a relatively easy length and a half over Mademechangemymind who had upset her three weeks ago in the rich $118,000 Shirley McClellan. Then, Outlawminutbyminut pounced against second-favourite Discontinued in the $55,100 Maverick Final for three-year-old colts and geldings. Discontinued had defeated Outlawminutbyminut last week in the Maverick eliminations.
“(Custard Dolce) is an amazing filly,” said her driver Phil Giesbrecht after going past pacesetter Mademechangemymind at the top of the stretch and on to a length and three-quarter triumph.
“She’s a dream to drive.”
Already a local superstar, being able to sit on Mademechangemymind’s back made Custard Dolce’s win even easier.
“It couldn’t have worked out better,” said Giesbrecht.
The victory was Custard Dolce’s 12th in 14 career starts. Her only losses came in her first start and then in the McClellan when Mademechangemymind nipped her at the wire in a paper-thin triumph.
Trained, bred and co-owned by Jamie Gray with partners Jackson Wittup, Max Gibb and Derek Wilson, Custard Dolce was coming off an 11-length victory in the Maquis eliminations for three-year-old fillies.
Pacing her mile in 1:54 3/5 Custard Dolce, sent away at odds of 1-9, paid $2.10 to win, $2.10 to place and $2.10 to show.
Custard Dolce has already won $238,000.
As for Outlawminutbyminut he has now won $140,000 in 14 career outings for trainer/driver and co-owner Logan Gillis and partner Todd Teolis.
“I had the perfect horse to follow,” said Gillis after his trip behind favourite Westcoast McCoy that produced an easy three and three-quarter length victory in 1:55.
Outlawminutbyminut paid $12.20 to win.
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Follow me on X (Twitter) at CurtisJStock and on Facebook
Author: The Turcottes: The Remarkable Story of a Horse Racing Dynasty.