After dueling through the stretch, Accidental Hero edged ahead of Sunbird to win the 76th British Columbia Derby (G3) at Hastings Racecourse. The top two were exiting the Aug. 26 Canadian Derby (G3) at Century Mile Racetrack and Casino, where they had finished third and fifth, respectively.
Sunbird was on the lead throughout and fended off co-pacesetter It’s a Fact when Accidental Hero engaged around the final turn. The pair raced side by side through much of the stretch, with Sunbird game on the inside, but Accidental Hero had a little bit more left having come from off the pace and got up in the final sixteenth to win the CA$117,500 race by a head in a final time of 1:50.05 for the three-turn 1 1/8 miles.
Space was third, followed by Kystone in fourth.
“It’s overwhelming,” said co-owner Tasha Ceraldi of WYN Racing Stables, who last year won the British Columbia Oaks with Kleopatra.
Accidental Hero, trained by Larry Grieve and ridden by regular jockey Kimal Santo, paid $4.40 in the field of six.
The winner, by Mo Town out of the Chatain mare Pardonmecomingthru , was a $260,000 purchase at the 2022 Ocala Breeders’ Sale Company’s March Sale. He was claimed for $40,000 in May at Oaklawn Park and joined his current connections.
Mo Town, by Uncle Mo, stands for $5,000 at Ashford Stud in Versailles, Ky. A top-10 second-crop stallion, he also sired graded stakes winners Key of Life and Mo Stash.
Leave feedback about this