Blue Star Beauty Wins Mares Open
Blue Star Beauty wired a field of Alberta's top mares on Saturday afternoon in the featured $8,500 Open Handicap Pace at Alberta Downs.
Leaving from post five in the six-mare affair, Blue Star Beauty carved out fractions of :28.2, :58.2 and 1:27.2 en route to a 1:54.3 triumph. The Alberta Sires Stakes graduate was never seriously threatened as she notched her sixth win of the season in 15 starts with Gerry Hudon aboard for trainer Doug Stout.
Sent postward as the race favourite, Blue Star Beauty paid $5.70 to win. Gts Jerilyn and Brandon Campbell finished over one length back in second and first over As Seely Promised, driven by Tyler Redwood, trailed four an a half lengths behind in third.
Camrose's Derek Stout owns the four-year-old As Promised mare, who has won 18 times in her career while earning $241,209 in purses.
In claiming action, five-year-old pacing mare Just Saucy put together a five-race win streak between claims for trainer/driver Kelly Hoerdt and partner Blair Corbeil of Beaumont, Alta. Her fifth in a row on Saturday was a career-best 1:54.1 effort. She prevailed from the pocket by a head over Born With A Grin before being claimed back by former trainer Blair Thomas for $12,500.
To view Saturday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Saturday Results - Alberta Downs.