The enchanting 3-year-old Chi Chi Time stayed undefeated on a rare Monday night of racing at Hastings, winning one of four Canadian Thoroughbred Horse Society Sales Stakes on a seven-race card by 9 1/4 lengths over her Pat Jarvis-trained stablemate, Zenari.
Chi Chi Time's win came in a 1 1/16-mile race restricted to 3- and 4-year-old fillies. Her win, which brought her career record to 4 for 4, was hardly surprising, as she went off at post-time odds of 1-9. What was unexpected is she rated for the first time in her career, closely stalking Someday Lady through modest fractions before blowing the doors off the field at the six-furlong marker and winning in a final time of 1:43.40. She paid $2.30 to win.
There was some doubt as to whether Chi Chi Time would even run in the stakes, as she was dealing with foot issues in the days before. Without doubt, the promising youngster, who was ridden to victory by Kuri Powell, will point to the $75,000 BC Oaks on Sept. 13.
Chi Chi Time wasn't the only favorite to prevail in Monday's stakes races. In fact, all four favorites visited the winner's circle. In the first race, a 6 1/2-furlong affair restricted to juveniles, Dino Condilenios's Debrusk, the only horse with racing experience heading in, overcame an awkward start to win by 6 1/2 lengths over Stormy Lent, paying $3.10 to win.
Race 3, a 6 1/2-furlong stakes restricted to 2-year-old fillies, saw Barbara Heads's unraced Sunny Wishes, with Amadeo Perez aboard, defeat Condilenios's Karensnotimpressed by three lengths, paying $3.80 to win. And in race 5, Cindy Krasner's What's Shakin pulled clear in the stretch to defeat Jarvis's Diocles by 2 1/2 lengths, covering the mile and a sixteenth in 1:42.68.
On a humorous note, a horse named Forced to Run was scratched from race 5, clearly demonstrating his refusal to live up to his name.
:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.