A gaggle of Vancouver\u2019s best horses will cross the Rockies to Edmonton this weekend in search of a fifth Canadian Derby in seven years<\/p>\n
Published Aug 21, 2025 \u00a0\u2022\u00a0 Last updated 54\u00a0minutes ago \u00a0\u2022\u00a0 3 minute read<\/p>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n You can save this article by registering for free here<\/a>. Or sign-in<\/a> if you have an account.<\/p>\n While there is no racing at Hastings until next Monday, when there will be more than $200,000 up for grabs on an evening card of Stakes contests, there will be plenty of local horses in action this weekend, as a strong team heads to Edmonton\u2019s Century Mile track for the 96th Canadian Derby.<\/p>\n Advertisement 2<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY<\/p>\n Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.<\/p>\n SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES<\/p>\n Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.<\/p>\n REGISTER \/ SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES<\/p>\n Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.<\/p>\n THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK.<\/p>\n Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.<\/p>\n Sign In or Create an Account<\/p>\n or<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n However, while Hastings\u2019 raiders have overachieved in Edmonton of late, winning four of the last six Canadian Derbies as well as a host of the valuable supporting races, the journey is not without its challenges. At under 700 metres, Edmonton isn\u2019t high enough to be considered at \u201caltitude\u201d but, with Hastings at pretty much sea level, it does have to be factored into the battle plan.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n \u201cWe go 72 hours before the race,\u201d said trainer Keith Pedersen. \u201cThe way I\u2019ve been taught is that you either go three days before, or three weeks before to allow the horses to acclimatize fully.\u201d<\/p>\n Pedersen takes Counter Cat for the $200,000 Canadian Derby. The three-year-old gelding will be joined in the van by $100,000 Century Casino Oaks contender I\u2019m In Control, as well as the speedy mare Air Force, who is among the favourites for the $75,000 Northlands Distaff.<\/p>\n Canucks Report<\/p>\n Thanks for signing up!<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Advertisement 3<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Air Force was runner-up in the Century Casino Oaks two seasons ago and is a road-trip veteran, while the other two are making the journey for the first time.<\/p>\n \u201cNo, they\u2019ve never travelled but I don\u2019t think there\u2019ll be a problem with them,\u201d Pedersen revealed. \u201cThey\u2019ve got their quirks, but they\u2019re sensible enough. Air Force can get a little keen but she\u2019s used to it.\u201d<\/p>\n As for their chances, well, Pedersen is not underestimating the opposition but is hopeful of a bold showing from all three.<\/p>\n He said: \u201cThey all have to have their \u2018A\u2019 game but, if they show up, they\u2019ll be right there. There\u2019s lots of things that they have to get over. It\u2019s a different surface, a bigger track. The crowd\u2019s huge. And then the starting gate\u2019s right in front of the crowd. So, it\u2019s something they will have to deal with.\u201d<\/p>\n Advertisement 4<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Century Mile is expecting a sellout crowd again for the Canadian Derby, which comes just a week after a record day of betting at Emerald Downs on Longacres Mile Day, leading to some exasperation from Hastings\u2019 horsemen coming to grips with the news that Fraser Downs has locked its gates, ending Standardbred racing on the Surrey site it has occupied for almost 50 years.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen something like that, as big as that, gets torn down, it makes you think, for sure,\u201d Pedersen said. \u201cIt weighs on everybody\u2019s minds.\u201d Standardbred trainer Rod Therres has spent the week trying to come to terms with the shocking announcement, while also rallying colleagues to fight back against the City of Surrey\u2019s decision to shutter the facility with immediate effect.<\/p>\n Advertisement 5<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Therres said: \u201cI\u2019m all right but a little stressed. I have about 14 different plans going on in my head right now.\u201d Therres, who was born and raised in Surrey and has been going to the track since it opened, took to the streets with his poster-plastered horse trailer this week, touring the Cloverdale area to raise support in a bid to save the track and the many jobs that its closure will cause.<\/p>\n \u201cMy mother, who is currently in hospital but who has been around the racetrack for a lot of her life, told my sister she just wants to die. It\u2019s been that big of a shock to us,\u201d Therres, who celebrated training his 1,000th winner last year, admitted.<\/p>\n Hastings Selections<\/p>\n Monday, Aug. 25. First post 7 p.m. Race 3.<\/strong> What a Force, a sister to the multiple stakes-winning mare Air Force, has been working well. She can make a winning debut as she looks to emulate her sibling\u2019s outstanding career.<\/p>\n Race 5.<\/strong> Diocles endured a rough passage and traffic congestion last time and this looks like the perfect opportunity for the dual Stakes winner to get back to winning ways.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Share this article in your social network<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Breadcrumb Trail Links Sports Sports Betting A gaggle of Vancouver\u2019s best horses will cross the Rockies to Edmonton…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":362936,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4107],"tags":[1071,79,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-362935","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-racing","8":"tag-racing","9":"tag-sports","10":"tag-uk","11":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/115068658861646116","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/362935","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=362935"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/362935\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/362936"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=362935"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=362935"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=362935"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"hastings\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/0822-col-hastings-1.jpg\")
Hastings’ Trainer Keith Pedersen. Photo: Michael Bye.Article content<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/dcs-static.gprod.postmedia.digital\/19.3.2\/websites\/images\/identity\/logo-identity-vp.svg\"){kind=logo}
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Counter Cat, ridden by Amadeo Perez, heads to Edmonton for this weekend\u2019s Canadian Derby.<\/p>\n