JF Gagne Passes 1000th Driving Win Landmark
One of the most likable horsemen on the backstretch at Fraser Downs JF (Jean Francois) Gagne has settled in nicely for the 2012 racing season. JF started his driving career at Trois Rivieres, Quebec in 1994. The native of Joliette, PQ moved
west four years later to race in Alberta and came to Fraser Downs later that year to drive in a stakes race. He returned to BC for a six week stint in the spring of 2011.
“I like it here.” he says. “Especially when the track is good. The money is good and the people are enthusiastic about racing.
Gagne has fourteen horses in training at the Cloverdale, BC track this year with more, including broodmares, yearlings
and a stud (Tajma Hall), on his quarter section outside Wetaskiwin, Alberta. Gagne celebrated New Year’s Day at Fraser Downs with four wins from five
drives including the career milestone 1000th win. Ironically he achieved the career mark behind his homebred pacing mare Queens Heritaj, who was sired by Tajma Hall a horse Gagne piloted to his 500th winning drive. The five-year-old filly, who is trained by Marjorie Dumont, paced the mile in a winning time of 1:56 flat.
Gagne started the New Year winning both ends of the early Daily Double with a win in the Abbetross Claiming Series behind Tre Bien trained by Justin Currie and the second half piloting his own maiden three-year-old Lightemup, also trained by Dumont. He got started on his next thousand wins later in the evening with another victory for Dumont behind his veteran pacer Rehearsal Hall.
Gagne’s four wins from five drives on the card give him a .800 driving average to start the 2012 season. With more than six million dollars in purses over the course of his career. He won 28 races and earned over $215,000 of
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Hastings Racecourse To Open For Training February 1st
40 Stakes Races on Tap with $2.5 Million in Purses
Regional GM Raj Mutti, is optimistic about the upcoming Thoroughbred season.
“The increase in attendance and the pari-mutuel handle last year was encouraging,”
Mutti said while announcing Opening Day at Hastings Racecourse in 2012 will be Saturday, April 14.
The 2012 meet will start with a 10 per cent increase in average overnight daily purses as well as the starter fee that was introduced in 2011.
“Every horse that starts a race and finishes out of the purse money (6th thru last) will receive $300," Mutti said.
The $200,000 BC Derby on Sunday, September 9 will highlight a stakes schedule that includes 40 premier races with $2.5 million in purse money.
Derby Day alone will feature $700,000 in purses with $600,000 of that amount included in six stakes: the prestigious BC Derby, BC Oaks
($100,000), Delta Colleen ($50,000), SW Randall Plate ($50,000), as well as the Jack Diamond Futurity and Sadie Diamond Futurity ($100,000 each).
Another “Stakes Day” extravaganza is the traditional BC Cup Day on the August 6th, highlighted by the $75,000 Peter Redekop Classic.
Five other stakes are included on the card, all with $50,000 purses: the BC Cup Debutante, Nursery, Dogwood, Stellar’s Jay and Distaff.
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BC Premiers Upgraded to Grade 3 status
The $100,000 Added BC Premiers Championship for 3-year-olds and up has been upgraded to Grade 3 status for 2012. Upgrading the Premiers
means the 2012 season at Hastings will have a total of three graded races. The $200,000 BC Derby, to be run September 9th and the $100,000 Ballerina to be run October 8th also have Grade 3 status.
“We’re very excited to have the Premiers back as a Grade 3 race. The quality of the horses in the race each year shows it deserves to be a Grade 3,” said
Hastings GM Raj Mutti. The 1 3/8 miles race, to be held October 8th this year has been won some of the best BC bred horses since its inception in 1962 including Canadian Horse of the Year True Metropolitan, Artic Son, and Travelling Victor.
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Standardbred handle up in Canada in 2011
Despite external pressures and signifi cantly fewer race days, the amount wagered on Canadian harness racing in 2011 exceeded its 2010 total.
While horse racing – thoroughbred, quarter horse and harness – has long reported declines in total wagering, the Canadian product is the exception to that rule. According to Standardbred Canada data, the total amount wagered on Canadian harness racing for 2011 came in at more than $440 million, up 0.64 percent (or roughly $2.7 million) from the 2010 total of $437.3 million. The amount bet per race also showed gains, up nearly nine percent from the prior year. Source:Standardbred Canada
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Bits & Bikes
Thoroughbred Dates
February 1st Jockey club deadline to name foals of 2010.
Hastings racing surface opens for training.
March 24th Early Nominations for stakes at Hastings Due
April 14th Opening day at Hastings for the 2012 racing season.
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Looking for Photos
HorseRacingBC is looking for old photos of people or horses from the past.
Jockeys, trainers and backstretch personnel from BC’s racing history are welcome and will be used in future issues.
Each photo will be scanned and returned to it’s owner in the condition it is received.
No win-photos please.