It was a tale of two trips for the major stakes winners on Kentucky Derby Day at Century Downs on Saturday, May 3.

Saturday's 10-race card outside of Calgary, Alta. featured a pair of $45,000 stakes events — the Bev Sears Memorial for four-year-old pacing mares and the $45,000 Ed Tracey Memorial for four-year-old male pacers.

Eventful would be a good way to describe one of those races. Formful could serve to the describe the other.

The eventful 2025 edition of the Bev Sears Memorial went to Dali Dancer ($11.20) and trainer-driver Jamie Gray. The 9-2 second choice, Dali Dancer sat third in the early going as 2-5 favourite Baby Limbo (Brandon Campbell) tried to clear a stubborn pacesetter Outlawelectricblue (Logan Gillis) through a sharp :26.4 opening quarter and eventually did make the top after the three-eighths mark.

After hitting the half in :56.1, Baby Limbo hit a proverbial wall and yielded to a backstretch challenge from Poker Queen (Phil Giesbrecht) while drifting into the two path. That drift opened a seam for Outlawelectricblue to shoot through as Poker Queen didn't drop down to the rail. Thus, Outlawelectricblue regained the front end through a 1:25.1 third panel.

Poker Queen folded, but Little Rhys Chick (Dave Kelly) and Dali Dancer had yet to show their hands. Little Rhys Chick loomed the danger on the leader's helmet, while Dali Dancer tipped three-wide for a stretch rally to challenge Outlawelectricblue. Those three battled to the wire and nearly hit it in unison, but a determined Dali Dancer delivered in the final strides of a 1:57 thriller. Little Rhys Chick edged out Outlawelectricblue for place honours.

Dali Dancer (Dali - Succulent) scored her seventh win in nine seasonal appearances for owners Wild Dunes Stable of Delta, B.C. In 39 career appearances, Dali Dancer sports a 12-3-8 summary with $71,442 in earnings.

The formful edition of the Ed Tracey Memorial went to the 1-4 choice, Iknowbetter ($2.60; pictured above).

As one would predict, driver Kelly Hoerdt decided that the top was the best place for Iknowbetter, and established that position after a :27.1 opening quarter. Repelling a challenge of Outlaw Game On (Giesbrecht) through middle splits of :56 and 1:24.3, Iknowbetter had enough left in the tank to close in :30.3 for the 1:55.1 decision. GTs Asher (Nathan Sobey) closed well to nab second with Carro Picasso (Dave Kelly) next across the wire.

Owned and trained by Ashley Ederer of Surrey, B.C., Iknowbetter (Betterthancheddar - Lil Beach) picked up his third win of the year and seventh lifetime to lift his purse earnings to $57,830. The lightly-raced four-year-old has only made 15 lifetime starts thus far but has assembled an impressive 7-3-3 summary in those appearances.

To view the full results from Saturday's card of harness racing outside of Calgary, click the following link: Saturday Results - Century Downs.

(Standardbred Canada)