The Chris Loseth race at Hastings is the first step to B.C. Derby

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The $50,000 Chris Loseth at Hastings Racecourse on Saturday is the first step toward the most important race at Hastings, the Grade 3, $125,00 B.C. Derby on Sept. 14.

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The mile-and-16th Loseth will help identify horses capable of handling a middle distance and it also serves as a possible prep for the first leg of the Western Canadian Derby Series. The series consists of the Manitoba Derby at Assiniboia Downs on Aug. 5, the Grade 3, $200,000 Canadian Derby at Century Mile and the B.C. Derby.

A $100,000 bonus will be awarded if a horse is capable of winning all three races. It’s a daunting task and, with that in mind, this year there is a points system introduced to the program that will provide $25,000 in bonuses to the owners and trainers of horses that compete in at least two of the three races.

Century Mile-based trainer Craig Smith is bringing Classy City to Vancouver for the Loseth. If Classy City runs well, Smith’s original plan was to head directly to Winnipeg.

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However, due to a horse diagnosed with equine infectious anemia, Assiniboia Downs has been under quarantine since mid-June.

“We’re still hoping to go to Winnipeg,” said Smith. “We will now go back to Edmonton first and see how things work out.”

According to Assiniboia Downs racing secretary Dustin Davis, the horses stabled at Assiniboia will be re-tested for the virus on July 29 or 30. In a previous test none of the horses on the backstretch tested positive.

“It’s a bit up in the air and it will be tight,” said Smith. “But we are still hoping to run in all three races of the series.”

Classy City has an excellent chance in the Loseth. Before his impressive win in the Western Canada Handicap at Century Mile on June 7, the Kentucky-bred son of Classic Empire raced almost exclusively on Tapeta, the synthetic surface at Golden Gate. The 70 Beyer Speed Figure he earned for his two-length win going six furlongs in the Western Canada is the best last-race figure among the seven horses entered in the Loseth.

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“We weren’t sure how he would handle dirt, but the first time we breezed him at Century he showed us the surface switch was not going to be an issue,” said Smith.

Classy City should be OK going around three turns for the first time too. He broke his maiden going a mile at Golden Gate and, according to Smith, has the right temperament to handle the assignment.

“He’s an easy horse to train and he’ll do anything you want,” said Smith. “He can stay close or come from well back.”

Smith, the vice-president of the Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association of Alberta, is happy with the way the racing season is going in his home province.

“Thanks to government support, we have a solid long-term plan in place,” said Smith.

Smith was referring to the roughly $19 million directed to the horse racing industry derived from slot revenue. In B.C. the number is around $10 million.

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The Barbara Heads-trained August Rain figures to be favoured in the Loseth. Heads was keen on going to Winnipeg, but not so much now.

“It’s a long way to travel and the testing is being done pretty close to the race,” she said. “We haven’t ruled it completely out, but it is a bit questionable.”

FRIDAY SELECTIONS: FIRST RACE 7 P.M.

RACE 3: ATTAIN figures to move forward following an encouraging debut for trainer Heads and it won’t hurt having leading rider Amadeo Perez aboard.

RACE 5: LUCKY FORCE gets the nod over his stablemate JUST JIMMY who is the logical choice due to Jimmy’s excellent record at the distance. I just think Lucky Force is an improved four-year-old and his only two tries at the distance were against stakes company.

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SATURDAY SELECTIONS: FIRST RACE 2:30 P.M.

RACE 5: AUGUST RAIN is clearly the one to beat but giving the Rob Maybin-trained WESTMINSTER a shot at pulling off an upset. The Kentucky-bred son of Bolt d’Oro got off to a poor start in the Ross McLeod and lost some momentum going down the backstretch when he steadied. Plus, according to Daily Racing Form’s Formulator, the past five years Maybin has a solid 21 per cent strike rate with horses going a mile or longer the first time.

Randy Goulding has been handicapping horses and writing for The Racing Form at Hastings Park for more than 30 years. His column will run every Friday throughout the racing season.

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