Poker Queen wore down the favoured front-striding Byby Baby Byby in the $14,500 Fillies & Mares Preferred Pace to headline the opening night of the Century Mile meet on Friday, Sept. 25.

The popular pacesetter Byby Baby Byby (Mike Hennessy) was initially beat off the gate from the inside post by Outlawguns N Roses (Nathan Sobey) but retook command in a sizzling :26.2 opening panel then stole a second-quarter breather to the half in :56.3 with her four foes following in single-file fashion. 

Meanwhile, Poker Queen raced along in fourth place and was given her cue by driver and co-owner Phil Giesbrecht in the final turn as Byby Baby Byby took the field past three-quarters in 1:25.1. In their stretch showdown, Poker Queen went all in and Byby Baby Byby eventually folded at the finish. Poker Queen prevailed in 1:55.4 by a head over Byby Baby Byby with Little Rhys Chick (James Jungquist) closing from last to show behind the top two.

Trained by Gerry Hudon, Poker Queen won the last Mares Preferred of the Century Downs meet on Aug. 28 in a career-best 1:52.3 performance and doubled up against Alberta's top distaffers her return to action at Century Mile. The five-year-old mare, who improved her seasonal summary to 4-4-4 in 15 races, now has 15 career wins with more than $120,000 in earnings from 38 starts.

Giesbrecht shares ownership of the daughter of Betting Line-Hedgie Blue Chip with Monica Hudon of Sturgeon County, Alta., and Denise Andrew of Calgary, Alta.

Poker Queen paid $6.10 to win as the 2-1 second choice. 

Racing continues at Century Mile on Saturday, Sept. 26 at 6:35 p.m. (MDT), with a nine-race program featuring the $15,000 Preferred Handicap Pace mid-card.

Century Mile will host live harness racing on Fridays, Saturdays and Wednesdays through mid-October before switching to a two-day weekly racing schedule on Fridays and Saturdays through the end of December, with the exception that there will be no racing on Christmas Day (Friday, Dec. 25) and there will be a New Year's Eve (Thursday, Dec. 31) program. 

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

(Standardbred Canada; photo of Poker Queen from a previous win on Aug. 28 at Century Downs)