Trainer Rebecca Kanak's season got off to a successful start as her stable swept half of the races on the first Friday night card of the Fraser Downs meet, including the $10,000 Preferred Handicap Pace headlined by West Coast Beach.

Making his season's debut in the Feb. 28 feature with Fraser's defending driving champion Kelly Hoerdt in the sulky, West Coast Beach fired from the inside post but gave way to a persistent Rum N Raisins (John Abbott) during a contested :26.2 opening quarter. Getting a second-quarter breather, Rum N Raisins remained in control through middle splits of :56.1 and 1:24.1 before West Coast Beach pounced from the pocket off the final turn and rallied by for the 1-3/4-length victory in 1:53. Rum N Raisins held on for second over his fellow Rick Lancaster stablemate Itll Be Fine (David Hudon), who closed quickest of all from the back of the six-pack.

West Coast Beach won nine of his 20 races last year while banking just over $40,000 for Kanak and co-owner Timothy Gordon of Spruce Grove, Alta. A career winner of 33 races, the eight-year-old Sunshine Beach-Village Janus gelding lifted his lifetime earnings to more than $220,000. He paid $7.30 to win as the 5-2 second choice.

Kanak, who picked up her first career win in 2023 and won 38 races last year, sent out four winners on Friday's eight-race card with her other two starters finishing third and fourth, giving her an impressive 0.722 UTRS on the night.    

The Saskatoon, Sask. horsewoman's first start of the year was in the third race with Jennifer Clark's homebred four-year-old gelding Tzilacatzin ($3) winning in 1:53.3. Kanak also scored with Bay Street Buddy ($4), a 1:55.2 winner in the sixth race with his pacesetting stablemate Shots Fired third, and Airline Pilot ($2.50), a 1:56.4 winner, in the eighth race finale. Brandon Campbell drove that trio as part of a driving grand slam.

Hoerdt also drove a pair of his own trainees to victories while Allan Molloy was the only other driver to make a winner's circle appearance.

Live harness racing continues at Fraser Downs next Thursday and Friday with post time at 7 p.m. (PST).

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

(Standardbred Canada)