Hastings: Apprehend comes through at 3-5 in Premier’s Handicap

Apprehend, who was off nearly 17 months before he was moved north from California, won for the fourth time in a row Saturday, coming from off the pace to score by one length in the Grade 3, $68,943 British Columbia Premier’s Handicap at Hastings in Vancouver.

Sent off as the 3-5 favorite, the 5-year-old entire by Arrogate raced two lengths off the pace for most of the four-turn race covering 1 3/8 miles on the five-furlong dirt track. Making the final turn into the 171-yard homestretch, jockey Amadeo Pérez loosened his hold on Apprehend and went three wide to catch early pacesetter Settecento (20-1) before passing last year’s winner Sunbird (8-5) in the final 100 yards.

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Sunbird, who stalked the pace before taking the lead briefly at the top of the stretch, placed second. Settecento faded to third. At Attention (9-1), the 2022 winner and a stablemate of the Apprehend, came in fourth. Soaringforthesun (16-1) finished last in the field of five.

The winning time was 2:18.79 on the track that was rated good. The early fractions were 24.77, 50.32, 1:17.42, 1:42.91 and 2:06.57.

Apprehend, who carried the top weight of 123 pounds, paid $3.20, $2.20 and $2.10; Sunbird $2.50 and $2.10; and Settecento $3.20.

It was the second year in a row Pérez rode the winner. Trainer Barbara Heads earned her third Premier’s victory. Owner Peter Redekop won for the second straight year and the third time overall.

Kentucky-bred Apprehend upped his record to 14: 7-3-0. With Saturday’s US$40,339 first prize, his earnings rose to US$284,192. Bred in Kentucky, he had been based in California with trainer Peter Miller before his move.

After his long break, Apprehend has raced exclusively in Canada, finishing fourth in a May allowance, winning twice at that level this summer and then finishing first in the S. W. Randall Plate Handicap last month at Hastings.