Two-time O'Brien Award-winning horseman Kelly Hoerdt graced the Century Downs winner's circle five times on Friday, June 7 with his own stable providing the bulk of his winning drives.

Hoerdt's five wins included four from his own stable, highlighted by In High Cotton ($5.50), who dropped from the Mares Preferred ranks to take Friday's featured $11,000 claiming-conditioned pace in 1:55.2 by a neck over the Brandon Campbell stablemates, Metaki and B On The Hunt. Hoerdt co-owns the six-year-old Somebeachsomewhere mare, now a seven-time winner this season, with Blair and Erna Corbeil.

Hoerdt's other Friday stable stars were three-year-old fillies Monsoon ($7) and Licklips Swinghips ($37.60) as well as four-year-old claiming mare Diva Amour ($13.80).

Monsoon, a daughter of Captaintreacherous, has been no worse than fourth in her seven starts since arriving in Alberta and joining the Hoerdt stable in March. She was a 4-1/2-length winner over favourite Oye Como Va in 1:56 for Hoerdt and partners Gabrielle Dumoulin, Carole Dunbar and Blair Corbeil.

Hoerdt and Corbeil's homebred filly Licklips Swinghips lowered her lifetime mark to 1:56.1 in her second straight win, prevailing by a head over fellow longshot Y V Larceny. The daughter of Custard The Dragon is out of the Alberta award-winning mare River Lass.

The Beaumont, Alta. horseman's final winning trainee was Diva Amour, who scored in 1:56.3 by a head over Bearcat Abigail. With her ninth victory of the season for Hoerdt and co-owner Fred Gilbert, the daughter of Custard The Dragon is one of Canada's winningest pacing mares so far in 2024.

Hoerdt also drove the Shelly Arsenault-trained pacer Nicotime ($11.30) to a career-best victory in 1:57.3, marking the six-year-old claimer's first win since the fall of 2022.

Hoerdt currently sits second in the Century Downs trainer standings at the 2024 meet with 20 wins, just two behind leader Travis Ellis. His 62 wins overall on the year are fourth best in all of Canada. As for driving, he's racked up 73 victories in the sulky so far this season with a .350 UDRS among the top 10 in the nation.

To view Friday's harness racing results, click the following link: Friday Results - Century Downs.

(Standardbred Canada; Photo of Hoerdt and In High Cotton winning on June 7 at Century Downs)