Poker Queen took back her crown in the Fillies & Mares Preferred Pace at Century Mile with a front-end frolic on Friday, Oct. 9 while stablemate Lucky Girl Hill extended her win streak to five in a row for trainer Gerry Hudon and driver/co-owner Phil Giesbrecht.

Poker Queen, the 4-5 favourite from the inside post in the Friday feature, re-took command after longshot Blowing Inthe Wind (James Jungquist) crossed in front during the :28.2 quarter then showed the way down the backstretch past the half in :57.4 and into the final turn with 2-1 second choice Byby Baby Byby (Mike Hennessy) on the move from third to challenge at the 1:27.2 three-quarters mark. As the mares turned for home, Poker Queen dug in to keep Byby Baby Byby at bay down the stretch, winning by three-quarters of a length in 1:53.4, with Blowing Inthe Wind holding on for third in the show photo ahead of the fast-closing Miss Dilly Dali (Kelly Hoerdt).

Poker Queen is now two-for-three in the Mares Preferred class at the Century Mile meet after winning the opening night feature two weeks ago and coming up just a quarter-length short last week to Outlaw Sharktastic, who finished fifth this time out. She paid $3.80 to win as the bettors' choice.

Poker Queen improved to 5-5-4 from 17 seasonal starts and notched her 16th career victory, pushing her bankroll to $131,789.

The five-year-old Betting Line-Hedgie Blue Chip mare is also owned by Monica Hudon of Sturgeon County and Denise Andrew of Calgary, Alta. 

The same connections watched their three-year-old filly Lucky Girl Hill streak to a 1:54.3 triumph two races prior in an $8,500 fillies and mares conditioned handicap pace. 

Giesbrecht put the 1-5 favourite on the point after a :59.1 first half with a sweeping move out of an early four-hole and they took off through three-quarters in 1:26.3 en route to an easy 3-1/2-length victory over early leader Hot Shot Shark (David Kelly) and a ground-saving Lifesabouttogetgood (James Jungquist). 

Unraced as a two-year-old, the Captain Crunch-Sarandon Blue Chip filly followed up a career-best 1:53.1 victory last week at Century Mile and pauid $2.40 to win. 

She has finished no worse than second in nine starts, with seven wins, and has earned $29,250.

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

(Standardbred Canada; photo of Poker Queen winning on Oct. 9)