Ed Hensley started out the New Year on good note driving the first three winners on Fraser Downs’ Friday, January 1 program along with one of two Keith Linton Memorial elimination winners

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In the second $8,000 Keith Linton Memorial elimination for four-year-old pacers who are non-winners of $30,000 lifetime, Hensley sent Base Camp to the lead from Post 3 in a :28.2 opener.

After battling with favourite Cardiff Hanover (Mike Hennessy) past middle stations of :58.4 and 1:27.2, Base Camp dug in and coasted under the wire 1:58.1. The 6-1 third choice won by a length and three-quarters over Garden Gate Ll (Gord Abbott) while Cardiff Hanover finished third.

Base Camp, a four-year-old son of Camluck-Merry Go Round, is trained by Darren Howald and owned by David Woolley of Langley, B.C. His fifth career win pushed his earnings to $18,302.

One race earlier, James Burke positioned P L Cosmonaut up front and the pair went wire-to-wire to capture the other elimination. The 9-2 third choice left from Post 2 and put up a :28.3 opening quarter before facing his first challenger.

A parked out Major Indiscretion (Jeff Stone) went head-to-head with the leader at the :58.1 half but P L Cosmonaut fought back and rolled past three-quarters in 1:27.2. The son of Mach Three-Lucky Hare then held off the even money favourite, Wilfred Sands (David Hudon), who rallied from second over and came within a half-length of the leader. P L Cosmonaut stopped the clock in 1:58.4 over a track rated “good” and two seconds off. Lil B Dazzled (Scott Knight) finished third.

Robert Murphy of Surrey, B.C. owns the four-year-old chestnut gelding, who is trained by Robert Merschback. P L Cosmonaut’s third (consecutive) win lifted his bankroll to $13,622.

The Hensley-trained Ridgeline also used front end tactics to win the $13,000 Open Pace in 1:55.1. Mike Hennessy drove the six-year-old son of Ironridge-Humming Strings to his 20th victory over Cash Account (Carl Sibigia) and Artistically (David McKellar). He now sports earnings totaling $261,479 for the J J J Stables of Aldergrove, B.C. and Casandra Uppal of Blaine, Washington.

To view Friday's results, click here.