Avana left no doubt as to who the top female horse is at Hastings in the $50,000 Monashee Handicap on Canada Day, taking control at the top of the stretch and rolling to a 4 3/4-length victory over Bunny. It was another 3 3/4 lengths back to Air Force in third.
Stretching out from 6 1/2 furlongs to 1 1/16 miles worked much to Avana's benefit, just as her trainer, Barbara Heads, had predicted before the race. Last out, in the Emerald Downs, the 4-year-old filly made her closing move a little late, getting beaten a neck by Air Force, who set glacial fractions.
In the Monashee, the first quarter went in a leisurely 24.39 seconds, with Avana, who went off heavily favored and paid $2.60 to win, sitting toward the back of the five-horse field, as is her wont. With Air Force and Annika's Song duking it out on the front, the pace quickened to 47.56 seconds for the half mile, with Bunny let loose at that point.
Around the six-furlong mark, though, it became clear that Avana would reel them all in and then some, and she seized the lead at the top of the stretch and rolled uncontested from there to finish in 1:42.53, a career best at the distance. Jockey Amadeo Perez was in the irons for his third win of the day. (He would make it four in the final race on the card aboard Thompson.)
Avana, a 4-year-old filly by Vino Rosso, improved her record at Hastings to 8-7-1-0, while Bunny is now 11-4-4-3 and Air Force is 19-9-2-6. For those who are counting, out of 38 cumulative starts, that trio has finished in the money a staggering 36 times, with 20 wins.
Lieutenant Governor's Handicap
Heads narrowly missed a stakes training double when Pat Jarvis's Diocles ($15.80) outlasted 3-5 favorite August Rain by a length after a gallant stretch duel to win the $50,000 Lieutenant Governor's Handicap for 3-year-olds and up. Soaringforthesun finished third, while Bold Arch came in fourth after leading through a 24.04-second quarter-mile in the 1 1/16-mile race.
August Rain broke a bit more keenly than usual before settling into third behind Bold Arch and Soaringforthesun, who aggressively pressed and pulled even with the early leader through a half-mile in a swift 46.62 seconds. August Rain then started to make his move, with Diocles tracking him closely through six furlongs that went in 1:10.76.
August Rain led at the top of the stretch, but a determined Diocles had more left for the drive, finishing in 1:42.62 seconds and beating his fellow 4-year-old gelding for just the second time in eight head-to-head matchups.
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