Repeat Winners In B.C. Breeders Stakes
Two-year-old male pacers One Big Cat and Bettors Mark continued their perfect Robert Millbank Memorial Breeders Stakes campaigns on Friday night at Fraser Downs while Mach And Roll Baby earned her second consecutive victory in the Betty Millbank filly division.
Driven by Brandon Campbell, One Big Cat wired his foes in a $15,000 third leg division for two-year-old pacing colts and geldings, leading through fractions of :29.4, 1:00.1 and 1:28.2 en route to the 1:57 triumph. Credit Risk followed one and a half lengths behind the 1-2 favourite from the pocket and Timetoplaythegame finished third.
Debra McCarthy trains the streaking American Ideal colt for the J J J Stables of Prince George, B.C. One Big Cat has now won his last four races -- including the first three legs of the B.C. Breeders Stakes. He has banked $26,483 in five career starts that also includes a fourth-place effort in the Horizon Pace at Alberta's Century Downs this past summer.
Bettors Mark also scored in front-stepping fashion for trainer/driver Bill Davis. After carving out panels of :28.2, :59 and 1:28, the overwhelming 1-9 betting favourite fought off Tito Santanna in a stretch duel for the 1:57 victory while Whatkindofchance finished two lengths behind off a pocket trip.
Owned and bred by Evert Vandenborn of Langley, B.C., the Bettors Delight gelding is perfect in three stakes starts and has banked $22,500.
Even-money favourite Mach And Roll Baby and driver Jim Marino converted off a pocket trip to win the $20,000 third leg division of the Betty Millbank Memorial for two-year-old pacing fillies. The Mach Three miss tracked Hanalei Bay through panels of :27.4, :59.1 and 1:28.2 before tipping to the outside and pacing by for the three-quarter length victory in 1:58. No Guarantees came through inside to finish second while Hanalei Bay settled for third.
Mach And Roll Baby has been near perfect in her freshman campaign, with her only loss a narrow runner-up effort in the first leg of the B.C. Breeders Stakes. Randy Rutledge trains and co-owns the filly with fellow Aldergrove, B.C. resident Jennifer Dodsworth.
The stakes win was one of five victories on the 12-race card for Marino.
The fourth leg of the Robert and Betty Millbank Memorial Stakes will take place next Friday, Oct. 30 at Fraser Downs, with the $100,000 finals scheduled for B.C. Breeders Classic Day, Nov. 11.
To view Friday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Friday Results - Fraser Downs.