Gagnon Stakes Headline Fraser Card
Mr Prospector and Trumpt In Hanover kicked off Sunday's harness racing card at Fraser Downs with a pair of victories in the $7,500 Clarence 'Sugar' Gagnon Memorial Stake divisions.
The Gagnon Memorial is for three and four-year-old B.C. owned, sired or bred colts that are non-winners of $30,000 lifetime. The race is named in honour of Cloverdale, B.C. horseman Clarence 'Sugar' Gagnon, who passed away in 2011.
Driver Brad Watt steered the front-stepping Mr Prospector ($5.80) to a career-best 1:56 victory to open the Sunday program. The four-year-old son of As Promised, trained by Allan Molloy and owned by Evert Vandenborn of Langley, B.C., won by two and a half lengths over Procrastinatinpeat and David Hudon while Moonlight Spice and Keith Clark finished third. The win was the first this year for Mr Prospector and followed up a pair of third-place finishes.
Trumpt In Hanover ($10) converted off a pocket trip to win the following split in a new mark of 1:56.2 for Surrey, B.C. trainer, driver and owner Rod Therres. The four-year-old son of The Panderosa wore down the popular pacesetter Big N Bad, driven by Jim Marino, to win by two and half lengths. Bobbysslackkeystar and Michael Munoz finished third. He is now three-for-seven this season.
Sunday's top pacing class went to the James Burke-driven and David McKellar-trained Lil Dude Starrbuck ($5.50), who edged out pacesetter Rock Allstar and Marino by a nose off a pocket trip. The runner-up's stablemate Crown Isle and J.F. Gagne finished third. The 12-year-old son of Threefold notched his 49th career win and pushed his bankroll over the $700,000 mark for owner Lil Dude Ranch of Surrey, B.C.
To view Sunday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Sunday Results - Fraser Downs.