Two-year-old pacers contested the last preliminary leg of the Alberta Sires Stakes (ABSS) with three divisions of the Alberta Stardust for fillies and a trio of Alberta Shooting Star contests for males on Saturday, Oct. 17 at Century Mile.

Somebody Save Me slipped through traffic and reached up in a four-across finish to shed her maiden status in the $18,767 first Stardust division. Jamie Gray saved ground with his trainee from the four-hole through :29 and :58.4 early fractions as Criminal Intention (Kelly Hoerdt) pocket-popped to control down the backstretch. Somebody Save Me, passing three-quarters in 1:28.3 in the three-hole, waited behind horses as first-over Sloppy Monster (Mike Hennessy) and cover-tipping Miss Melanie (Phil Giesbrecht) chipped away at Criminal Intention in the stretch. Gray sent his horse through a gap to the outside of Miss Melanie, and Somebody Save Me surged in deep-stretch to prevail by a quarter-length over that rival in 1:59.1. Criminal Intention was a gritty third, beaten a half-length

Somebody Save Me’s first win from six starts swelled her earnings to $13,882. The daughter of Mystery Chase-Carlota Blue Chip is owned by Shelley, Riley and Brie Gray of Sturgeon County, Alta. and Jackson Wittup of Calgary, Alta. She paid $13.30 to win.

Captain Tahiti secured her second stakes win as she took the $18,467 second Stardust split. With Outlaw Risk N Hope (Logan Gillis) charging up from post six, Phil Giesbrecht called for speed from Captain Tahiti from post two into the first turn, but he eventually yielded to the outside hustler. Captain Tahiti sat the pocket through :28.2 and :57.4 panels, then tipped out and blew by Outlaw Risk N Hope racing to three-quarters in 1:26.4 and sprinted away to a 4-3/4-length romp in 1:56.3. Outlaw Risk N Hope finished evenly for place, followed by Midnight Diva Rose (Nathan Sobey).

Captain Tahiti finished third in her division of the first ABSS leg and was second in the second round after her second-start win in an Emerald Filly Pace division. The daughter of Captain Deo-Tahiti Seelster is now three-for-six with $32,040 in earnings for trainer Chris Lancaster, who shares ownership with Douglas Bowers of Brandon, Man. The win price was $4.30.

Dixieland Delight went all the way in the $18,467 third Stardust contest for her second ABSS win. The Captain Deo-Miss Conduct filly, who now boasts a 7-3-4-0 record, out-left the rest from post six to sweep over to the top on the first turn, then put forth the early panels of :28.4 and :58.3 before quickening to three-quarters in 1:27.4 to repel the first-over Betchabottondollar (Drew Campbell). Restrained encouragement from driver James Jungquist was enough to get Dixieland Delight home a length ahead of pocket-chasing Myartsdesire (Nathan Sobey) in 1:58.3. Blue Star Shania (Mike Hennessy) closed for third.

The Harold Haining-trained filly, now a winner of $57,932, is owned by breeder Donald Richardson of Cochrane, Alta. Dixieland Delight won divisions of the Emerald Filly Pace and Alberta Starlet earlier this season and was second by a head in the ASHA Filly Pace. The win price was $3.90.

Somewhat Tipsy took flight down the stretch to surge from fourth at three-quarters to a 5-1/2-length win in the $18,467 first Shooting Star race. He occupied the five-hole for Phil Giesbrecht through :28 and :56.2 first-half panels, then was the first off the cones as the field of six banked into the final turn. Somewhat Tipsy promptly swung wider with pocket-popper Captain J (Drew Campbell) stalled going to three-quarters in 1:25.1, and the three-high colt blew past pacesetter Shark Edition (David Kelly) through the stretch en route to a 1:54.3 score. Outlaw Hammer Down (Mike Hennessy) closed from last to be second, with Shark Edition holding third.

Somewhat Tipsy backed up his maiden-breaking win in the second ABSS leg with Saturday’s tally, raising his record to two-for-seven and his earnings to $23,959. Giesbrecht trains the son of Vertical Horizon-Mrs Suhwiggins for J J J Stables of North Vancouver, B.C. and 4WRacing of Surrey, B.C. The winner returned $4.10.

Strait Up N Down was live off a pocket trip to nab the $18,767 second Shooting Star split in 1:55.4. Kelly Hoerdt motored his gelding into the turn to secure a seat behind the leaving Scouts Command (James Jungquist) through the quarter in :28.2, half in :58 and three-quarters in 1:27.1. Strait Up N Down held the pylons for the stretch drive and collared the pacesetter for a length win in 1:55.4. Dungannigans (Nathan Sobey) finished third.

Strait Up N Down is now two-for-nine and has earned $25,189 for Hoerdt, who co-owns the son of Vertical Horizon-High Rollin Girl with Carole Dunbar of Richardson, Sask. and Blair Corbeil of Leduc, Alta. The gelding returned $4.50 at the mutuels.

Y V Michters remained perfect in ABSS competition as he took the $18,467 third Shooting Star division in 1:56. He sat a gapped third for driver David Kelly as Dusty Dragon (Phil Giesbrecht) rationed out the early speed to :28 and :57 splits. With pocket-sitter Hanmore (Logan Gillis) faltering on the far turn, Y V Michters circled him to pursue the leader to three-quarters in 1:26.1, and he cruised by Dusty Dragon to win by 6-3/4 lengths. Approaching the finish, the onrushing Cf Beat The Rain (Kelly Hoerdt) and Dusty Dragon hooked wheels, causing Giesbrecht to be dislodged from the sulky. The driver promptly returned to his feet and drove in the next race. Cf Beat The Rain crossed the line ahead of Dusty Dragon for second, and after a judges’ review, the order remained.

Also the winner of the ASHA Pace, Y V Michters is four-for-seven and has earned $68,124. Rod Starkewski trains the son of Captain Deo-Dime Hanover and co-owns him with breeder Christopher Lambie of Rockyview County, Alta. The win payout was $2.50.

The ABSS Super Finals and consolations are set for Oct. 31 at Century Mile.

Shark Week, the fastest horse in Western Canada history, lowered his own all-age track record at the Edmonton, Alta. oval with a 1:50 blowout in the $15,000 Preferred Handicap Pace. The gelding, who took his career mark of 1:49.2 at Century Downs in 2023, blasted to the lead with a :26.1 opening panel and maintained a strong tempo to the half in :53.3. His rivals could no longer sustain the hot pace as Shark Week sprinted to three-quarters in 1:21.1, opening a five-length lead, and driver Mike Hennessy continued to work on him down the lane to a 10-1/2-length victory. Ernesto Delacruz (Jean-Francois Gagne) hustled from fifth to second in the lane, while Outlaw Game On (Phil Giesbrecht) took third.

Shark Week knocked two-fifths of a second off his previous Century Mile record, taken almost exactly three years ago on Oct. 21, 2023.

The eight-year-old son of Vertical Horizon-Shark Gone Bad has now won five straight races and is nine-for-23 on the year for trainer Rod Hennessy, who co-owns him with Lorne Duffield of Edmonton. The gelding has earned $639,135 and won 74 of 130 career starts. He paid $3.70 to win.

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

(Standardbred Canada; photo of Shark Week in a previous win)