Millbank Sweep For Therres Trainees

Two- and three-year-old pacers were in the spotlight Thursday evening at Fraser Downs as the oval hosted round two of the Robert Millbank Memorial Breeders Stake for the boys and Mary Murphy Breeders Stake for the girls.

Trainer/driver Rod Therres swept the $15,000 divisions of the Robert Millbank Memorial Breeders Stake with rookies Canadian Pharoh and Machitoutofthepark.

Canadian Pharoh upended heavily favoured Ron Bakardi in the first division in 1:59.2.

Therres had the son of Mach Three-Village Janus parked while leading at the quarter pole in :28.2, but they eventually cleared to the top and cruised through middle panels of 1:00.2 and 1:30.1 over a track rated ‘sloppy’ with a two-second variant. The colt kicked home in :29.1 to win by a pair of lengths over Ron Bakardi in 1:59.2. Taking down third prize was Shales Storm.

Therres co-owns the homebred with Veikko Pajunen of Vancouver, BC. The partners just missed getting their picture taken with the youngster in last week’s opening leg action. The pacer came up a nose short in settling for the runner-up award. He’s stashed away $11,250 to date.

Stablemate Machitoutofthepark was a lapped-on runner-up in his round one assignment last week, but he kicked it up a notch by winning his $15,000 round two assignment in 1:58.4 for trainer/driver Therres.

The son of Mach Three-Accentuate was on top at every call through fractions of :29.1, :59.1 and 1:28.4. He stepped home in :30 to hold on for the half-length decision over Dragon Slayer in 1:58.4. Race favourite One Small Favour had to settle for the show dough.

Veikko Pajunen of Vancouver, BC owns the career winner of $11,250.

Sustainedintensity was a handy winner in her $15,000 division of the Mary Murphy Breeders Stake for three-year-old fillies.

The daughter of Camystic-Shape Of My Art got away sixth while Rosemarys Babi led the field through first-half fractions of :28.3 and :59.4. Kevin Anderson had Sustainedintensity on the move from first-over going to the mid-way point, and they worked their way to the lead while racing parked past the three-quarter pole in 1:29. Sustainedintensity used a :30.4 closing quarter to win by 1-1/2 lengths over Jans Legacy in 1:59.4. Tahuya Seahawk took home third prize.

Sent off as the 8-5 favourite, Sustainedintensity improved this year’s record to 2-3-2 from nine starts with the win for trainer Mark Anderson. The J J J Stables’ homebred is now a three-time winner and a career winner in excess of $30,000.

Yoga Pants was a 1:55.3 winner in last week’s opening leg assignment, and she was a comfortable winner in Thursday’s follow-up performance for trainer/driver Jim Marino.

The 1-5 favourite got away third while Keys Please blasted to the lead and carved out the opening quarter in :28.1. Marino marched her to the top in the second quarter and sailed through middle fractions of :59.2 and 1:28.2 before sprinting home in :29.2 to win by 1-3/4 lengths over Tahuya Gameday in 1:57.4. Rounding out the Trifecta ticket was Keys Please.

J J J Stables of Prince George, BC own the 13-time winner who now boasts an 8-for-9 record this year. She’s 13-for-15 in her career, and she’s potted over $260,000 along the way.

To view results for Thursday's card of harness racing, click the following link: Thursday Results – Fraser Downs.

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