‘Cigar Box’ Blazes In Century Bets
Poised off a pocket trip, Codename Cigar Box swung around dueling leaders and strode to a 1:55.3 victory to take the first of two $16,400 divisions for the Century Bets Pace on Tuesday (Sept. 15) at Century Downs.
Sunshine Boy blasted for the lead from the pylons while trainer-driver Kelly Hoerdt slid Codename Cigar Box from post 6 into the pocket. By the first quarter in :28.2, Sunshine Boy held a comfortable lead while 1-2 favourite Dragon Energy revved an uncovered bid from fourth.
Dragon Energy drew towards the pacesetter nearing three-quarters in 1:26.1, with Hoerdt tipping Codename Cigar Box onto cover into the final turn. But Hoerdt soon fanned the Custard The Dragon colt off the helmet into the stretch and kicked clear, opening three-and-a-half lengths on Dragon Energy chasing in second. Sunshine Boy finished another six lengths back in third.
Co-owned by Hoerdt with Fred Gilbert and Blair Corbeil, Codename Cigar Box won his second race from five starts, earning $15,266. He paid $7.20 to win.
Lovin Up On You led every step for trainer-driver Brandon Campbell in the other Century Bets split to score as the 3-5 favourite in 1:58.
Clearing control to the quarter in :29.4, Lovin Up On You endured first-over pressure from Crazy I M through middle fractions of 1:01.2 and 1:30, with Crazy I M drawing to equal terms with the pacesetter moving to the final turn. However Crazy I M began to falter moving for the stretch while Lovin Up On You scooted from the field, strolling to a three-and-a-quarter length win over pocket-sitter Had A Hard Handle. Carro B Bunsen finished third.
A Custard The Dragon colt owned by Jodi Loftus and George Rogers, Lovin Up On You won his second race from three starts, earning $13,916. He paid $3.10 to win.
Freshmen pacing fillies competed later on the card in three divisions of the Jim Rogers Memorial. Burning Hot paced the quickest of the three winners with a blowout victory in the $11,400 opening division.
Brushing to the front past a :30 first quarter, 1-2 favourite Burning Hot held an uncontested lead through splits of :58.3 and 1:29 while chased by Alberta Rose and Whirl A Wick. Into the final turn the Blue Burner filly sprinted away, widening to an eight-and-a-quarter length win in 1:59 over Whirl A Wick taking second. Alberta Rose finished another six lengths behind in third.
Trained by Rod Starkewski, who co-owns the $3.00 winner with Clauzette Byckal, Burning Hot won her first race from four starts, earning $10,525. Phil Giesbrecht sat in the sulky.
Sent By Angels lighted the toteboard in the $11,400 second division, swooping to the lead late to pull a 27-1 upset in 2:01.3.
A Private Affair led the field to the quarter in :30.2 before 6-5 favourite Overactive brushed to the top. Sent By Angels raced fifth as the field cruised to a 1:00.4 half with Outlaw Endofanera soon making a move to race first over from fourth.
Driver Dave Kelly edged Sent By Angels into the flow to race third over to three-quarters in 1:31.3 but failed to gain much ground as Overactive held a firm lead into the final turn. Kelly kicked Sent By Angels to the center of the track straightening for the finish and fired home to win by a half length over A Private Affair, who rallied from the pocket for second. Outlaw Endofanera finished third.
Returning $57.10 to win, Sent By Angels won her first race from four starts, earning $8,809. Michael Campbell trains the Custard The Dragon filly for owner J J J Stables. Campbell later sent Hotpieceoface ($12.10) to victory to give him three training wins on the day.
Custard Smoothie coasted in the $11,600 final division of the Jim Rogers, winning as the 1-5 favourite in 1:59.1.
Driver Brandon Campbell cleared the lead with Custard Smoothie moving to a :28.4 first quarter with Crush Me settling for the pocket. Outheresomewhere angled of the pylons from sixth and rushed towards the leader, who slowed the pace to a :59.2 half. Custard Smoothie continued to hold a one-length lead over Outtheresomewhere moving to three-quarters in 1:29.1 and kept that rival at bay through the stretch to win by one-and-a-quarter lengths. Crush Me finished third.
Owned by J J J Stables and Jim Marino, Custard Smoothie won her third race from four starts, earning $22,675. Michael Campbell trains the Custard The Dragon filly, who paid $2.30 to win, for his second of four victories on the day—along with the second of five for Brandon Campbell.
Trainer Michael Campbell sent Hotpieceoface ($12.10)—driven by Brandon Campbell—later on the card. The pair also teamed to take the nightcap with Snap Test ($6.70). Brandon Campbell, prior to those victories, also drove his pupil Ima Momas Boy ($3.90) to victory.
Between the divisions of the Century Bets Pace and the Jim Rogers Memorial, Outlaw Gunsablazin shot from off the pace to take the $9,000 Open Pace in 1:53.3. The Rod Starkewski trainee sat fifth to a :27.4 first quarter set by 9-5 favourite Tiempo Hanover. Driver Jamie Gray tipped Outlaw Gunsablazin off the pegs passing a :56.1 half to race third over while Retros Mystery led the two-wide tier to three-quarters in 1:24.4. Tiempo Hanover maintained command into the final turn, though Gray uncorked Outlaw Gunsablazin moving for the stretch and slid to the front and stride to a one-length victory over the favourite. Ima Dude finished third.
A four-year-old gelding by Blue Burner, Outlaw Gunsablazin competes for owners Rod Starkewski and Clauzette Byckal. He won his fifth race from 10 starts this season and his 11th from 33 overall, earning $140,250. He paid $10.80 to win.
To view Tuesday’s harness racing results, click on the following link: Tuesday Results - Century Downs.