Two-year-olds took centre stage on Saturday, Aug. 15 at Century Downs in a handful of $12,500 eliminations for the ASHA Pace and ASHA Filly Pace.

Fillies kicked off the action in a pair of eliminations over the track listed as 'good', while the boys battled in three elims to determine the fields for next week's $70,000 finals.

Cenalta Reflection was 6-5 on the tote board in the first elimination, and she was much the best in a maiden-breaking effort to kick off the Saturday card. Driver Dave Kelly briefly considered a two-hole ride behind rail starter Rezies Dee (Drew Campbell) but moved to the front around the opening turn. Landing on the lead before the :28.2 opening quarter, Cenalta Reflection confidently cruised through middle fractions of :59.4 and 1:28.2 before pulling away to win by 2-1/4 lengths in a time of 1:57.3. Criminal Intention closed well to secure the place spot for driver Phil Giesbrecht with Sweet Phoenix (Blaine Chappell) completing the top trio and Midnight Diva Rose (Nathan Sobey) in for fourth to advance to next week's final.

Trained by Rod Starkewski for breeders and owners Gordon & Helen Empey of Bowden and Myrna Empey of Calgary, Alta., Cenalta Reflection now sports a 1-2-0 summary from her four career starts with $12,366 in earnings. The daughter of Captain Deo-Cenalta Artistry paid $4.70 to win.

Dave Kelly enjoyed that voyage so much that he duplicated it in the second ASHA Filly Pace elim, guiding Montana Sky to a slightly faster wire-to-wire score.

Using the rail position to his advantage, Kelly pointed 5-1 choice Montana Sky to the front after the wings of the gate folded and the filly was never threatened for the rest of the mile. Montana Sky breezed through panels of :29.1, :59.3 and 1:28.2 before closing in :29 for the confident 1:57.2 victory by nearly two lengths. Dixieland Delight, the 4-5 favourite, survived an objection against driver James Jungquist to finish second with Ruby Lips (Kelly Hoerdt) in the show spot and Blue Star Shania next best to obtain her ticket to next week's dance.

Chris Lancaster of Airdrie, Alta. trains Montana Sky, and he co-owns the daughter of Vertical Horizon-Gracie Montana with Velda Olding of Abbotsford, B.C. and Fred Gilbert of Brandon, Man. The win is her first in three tries, never out of the top three (1-0-2) in those three appearances, sporting $11,502 in earnings. Montana Sky returned $12.70 to win.

Sir Talkalot ($7.60) silenced his doubters in the first ASHA Pace elimination for two-year-old male pacers with a 1:57.2 victory. Trainer-driver Nathan Sobey settled the son of Captain Deo-You Talk Too Much into third early as Alberto (Brandon Campbell) posted early fractions of :29.2 and 1:01.1. Just before the half, Sobey angled Sir Talkalot from third as G Ts Skibidi (Drew Campbell) mounted a stiff overland challenge. Sir Talkalot cleared the early leader down the backside, fronted his foes at the 1:29.1 third station and then paced home in :28.1 to seal the deal. Shark Edition (Giesbrecht) finished two lengths back in second while Alberto stayed for third.

After three starts, Sir Talkalot sports a 1-1-1 record with $13,866 in earnings for owners Sobey Racing Inc. of Sturgeon County, Alta., Robert Jones of Stony Plain, Alta., and Diane Bertrand & Robert Gilhespy of Lake Country, B.C.

Dragonkind entered the chat with authority after a 24-1 upset in the second ASHA Pace elim. Trainer-driver Jamie Gray settled the gelded son of Custard the Dragon-Make Three Wishes into fourth for the early going as 2-5 fave Rider Buddy (Mike Hennessy) issued serious fractions of :28.3 and :58 heading down the backside. Gray asked Dragonkind to challenge heading to the third station, and the rookie responded with a fiery kick that quickly cleared the pacesetter before the 1:27 third station. With Y V Michters (Dave Kelly) threatening around the far turn and turning for home, Dragonkind stayed strong and held on to win by a head in 1:55.4. Dunngannigans (Sobey) hit the bottom of the triactor ticket.

With his first win in just his second appearance, Dragonkind sports a bankroll of $7,173 for Gray and co-owners J J J Stables of North Vancouver and Paul Sanders of Surrey, B.C. His supporters were rewarded with a $50.30 win mutuel.

Forbearance remains perfect in two career appearances, emerging victorious in the third ASHA Pace elimination for trainer-driver Brandon Campbell. Sent off as the 1-5 public choice, Forbearance cleared early leader Sam Credit (Mike Hennessy) through a :29.2 opening quarter and landed on top before the 1:00 half. Here's where things got interesting: Scouts Command (Sobey) took his shot at the leader down the backside and nearly cleared to the top through the 1:28 third quarter while Forbearance battled valiantly to his inside. Despite getting a bit steppy around the far turn, Campbell kept Forbearance to task and the colt responded with late pace once the field straightened for home to win by 1-1/4 lengths. Sam Credit bested Scouts Command for the runner-up spot.

Campbell co-owns Forbearance (Custard The Dragon-Panagler) along with Raymond Henry and George Rogers of Calgary, Alta. The $137,000 sale topper at the 2025 ASHA Yearling Sale, Forbearance is doing his part to recoup that purchase price with $15,483 banked from his pair of appearances. He returned $2.40 to win.

The judges declared the seventh race on the card a no-contest due to an accident before the first turn. Rose Bee Leavin, driven by Mike Hennessy, racing sixth, suddenly fell, resulting in a collision with two other horses. Highclass Custard was racing just off Rose B Leavin's wheel, and their sulkies collided, causing driver James Jungquist to be unseated. Lovemymockingbird also collided with the downed horse but stayed up, though driver Robert Scrannage was dislodged. Officials with Century Downs indicated that all horses and drivers walked away from the accident. Hennessy and Jungquist drove later on the card.

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

(Standardbred Canada; photo of Dragonkind winning on Aug. 15)