Favoured fillies Outlaw Fireball ($4.30) and Yoga Pants ($3.30) were victorious in the eliminations for the Lady Luck Stakes featured on Sunday afternoon (July 30) at Century Downs Racetrack and Casino while Canada's World Driving Championship rep Brandon Campbell dominated the regular racing action.
Driven by J.F. Gagne, Outlaw Fireball prevailed in the first $12,500 elimination after swinging four-wide around traffic on the backstretch and kicking home in :28.4 to stop the clock in 1:55.1, equalling her lifetime mark. She defeated the pocket-pulling Cardinal Rule (Brandon Campbell) by a quarter-length while Wedding Dance (Jim Marino) finished five lengths behind in third after setting fractions of :27.3, :56.1 and 1:25.4. Keys Please (Serge Masse) was fourth.
on Sunday, July 30 at Century Downs. (Kyle Meller/Coady Photo)
Outlaw Fireball is vying for her fourth stakes title this year. The Blue Burner-Watchasgirlsgoby filly has earned five wins and a pair of second-place finishes in seven sophomore starts and has already banked more than $100,000 in purses. Marjorie Dumont trains and Gagne shares ownership with Peter Van Seggelen, Carl Warnaar and Tapron Holdings Ltd.
The streaking Yoga Pants led gate-to-wire in the second elimination for trainer/driver Jim Marino. J J J Stable's Sportswriter-Lucks Pleasure filly carved out panels of :28.2, :57.1 and 1:26.4 all alone on the lead and won by four and three-quarter lengths in 1:55.2. Steady Breeze (Kelly Hoerdt) closed for second and Outlaw Imahotvixen (Jamie Gray) came on for third. Stylomilohos (Brandon Campbell) finished fourth.
Making her first start since April, Yoga Pants extended her win streak to eight. The near-perfect filly -- just one loss in 10 career starts -- equalled her career-best time that she set in her last victory in the Penny Bath at Fraser Downs.
The $130,000 (estimated) final of the Lady Luck will be contested on Monday, Aug. 7.
While he didn't win one of the eliminations, Brandon Campbell had his share of trips to the winner's circle during Sunday's 10-race program. After starting the day on the right foot with a victory in the opener aboard his own trainee, the debuting two-year-old filly Betterbegoodtome ($6.70), Campbell went on a winning crusade after the eliminations. He drove the final five winners on the program, including three in a row from his own stable.
Campbell drove first-time winners Screen Test ($6.10) for trainer Dan Sifert and Freedoms Rescue ($2.60) for Glenn Lutz before sweeping the final three races with his own trainees, 50-time career winner Total Rhythm ($7.60), Captain Hazardous ($8.60) and Southwind Jaden ($6.90).
The 33-year-old Calgary resident will represent Canada in the upcoming World Driving Championship, presented by Standardbred Canada from August 12-18.
To view Sunday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Sunday Results - Century Downs.