The 2012 Alberta Sires Stakes season for three-year-old pacing colts and geldings kicked off on Sunday afternoon at Alberta Downs with a trio of $7,500 Alberta Plainsman eliminations.

Trained and driven by Keith Clark, Somethinsgoinon wore down the popular pacesetter, Promise To Lynette and Jeff Stone, in the stretch to win the first elimination by a neck in a career-best 1:55.2. Hollywood Hotel and Gerry Hudon finished over eight lengths behind in third. The Camystic-Public Life gelding, who earned his first win in four seasonal starts, is owned by Clark and partners Peter Giannakopoulos of Edmonton and Robert Jones of Slave Lake.

Adios Pick winner Cowboy Caper, with trainer Kelly Hoerdt in the bike, converted a pocket trip into a 1:54.3 career-best victory in the next elimination. The Brandons Cowboy-Prom Miss gelding won by two and a quarter lengths over pacesetter Outlaw Beacon and Jim Marino while favourite Smooth Criminal and Bill Tainsh Jr. finished over four lengths behind. The winner of three (consecutive) races in six sophomore starts is owned by Hoerdt and Blair Corbeil of Beaumont, along with Calgary's Peter Morris and Roque Consultants Inc.

Favourite Playbook was a 1:56 wire-to-wire winner in the final elimination for Clark and co-owners Laurence Swalm and Verne Rea of Calgary and Doris McDougall of Cochrane. The homebred Camcracker-Incognito Miss colt romped to a two and a quarter length triumph over the Rod Hennessy-driven Outlawtowerinferno and Lilshakerboomboom with Stone in the sulky. Playbook notched his second win in four starts this year.

The $50,000 (added) final of the Alberta Plainsman will take place next Sunday, June 24 at Alberta Downs.

Hoerdt and Corbeil's River Lass dominated the Fillies & Mares Open class with a seven and three-quarter length score in this week's $8,500 event. The five-year-old As Promised-Brass Buttons mare, now eight-for-13 this season, stopped the clock in 1:53.4. The victory was her fourth in a row and the time of the mile was just one-fifth of a second off her lifetime mark. Pacesetter Minettas Nightstar and Clark finished second. Shoplifter Hanover and Jamie Gray were third.

Hoerdt concluded the 15-race card with three training triumphs.

To view Sunday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Sunday Results - Alberta Downs.