The top two and three-year-olds in the province invaded Fraser Downs for B.C. Breeders Classic Day on Wednesday, Nov. 11, featuring $400,000 in stakes finals.

Mach And Roll Baby and driver Jim Marino kicked off the stakes action with a 1:58.3 triumph in the $101,500 final of Betty Millbank Memorial Breeders Stakes for two-year-old pacing fillies.

The 8-5 favourite Hanalei Bay (Billy Davis Jr.) fired off the gate to establish the early lead over No Guarantees (Brandon Campbell) while Marino left from post nine with Mach And Roll Baby and settled into third through a :28.1 opening quarter. Hanalei Bay continued to lead the fillies past the half in 1:00.2 and into the backstretch before Mach And Roll Baby launched her attack. Mach And Roll Baby gained a slight advantage en route to three-quarters in 1:28.3, but Hanalei Bay fought back and Marino ducked his rough-gaited mount in behind on the final turn before taking another shot down the stretch. Mach And Roll Baby then wore down Hanalei Bay and held off No Guarantees, who closed through the passing lane for second-place honours. Hanalei Bay settled for third.

The winning Mach Three-Forever Holy filly is owned and bred by Jennifer Dodsworth and trainer Randy Rutledge of Aldergrove, B.C. She returned $6.90 to her backers as the 5-2 second choice in the wagering.

"She's a nice filly and Randy's done a great job with her," said Marino after guiding Mach And Roll Baby to her fourth straight win in the B.C. Breeders Stakes. "She's been good every week in the eliminations so I was never worried about her. The trip worked out. She had a little bit of trouble in the last turn there so I was lucky enough to duck back in behind Billy Jr. there and then get back out down the lane."

Mach And Roll Baby has now banked nearly $80,000 in just five lifetime starts.

Fresh off a maiden-breaking victory in the final preliminary leg of the B.C. Breeders Stakes, Bobby Dazzler stormed home off cover to prevail in a career-best 1:56.2 performance in the $100,000 Robert Millbank Memorial for two-year-old male pacers.

Clint Warrington Jr. trains and drives the 16-1 upsetter, who equalled the two-year-old pacing gelding track record, for owners David and Freda Woolley, Langley, B.C. Bobby Dazzler paid $34 to win.

The unbeaten 1-2 favourite Bettors Mark (Billy Davis Jr.) worked clear of One Big Cat (Brandon Campbell) early on and reached the first quarter pole in :27.4. As the field raced in front of the grandstand for the first time, Credit Risk (Doug McNair) then began to advance first over from fourth with Bobby Dazzler following his cover from mid-pack. A battle ensued past the :58.4 half-mile mark as Credit Risk edged ahead, but then Bettors Mark regained the lead en route to three-quarters in 1:26.4. Warrington Jr. then sent Bobby Dazzler three-wide coming off the final turn and rushed by on the outside to steal the glory. Imrunninonsunshine (Dennis Johnston) came on for second-place while One Big Cat finished third inside. Bettors Mark was fourth in his first career loss.

"He was good, but it was just the right trip -- that's what helped him more than anything," said Warrington from the winner's circle. "I didn't have to close too much ground; he got a second over trip. The horse carried me right to the top of the stretch, I moved him out and he paced an eighth of a mile and everything worked out.

"[The front-end battle down the backstretch] helped me out, but I was glad [Doug McNair] went as far as he did because if I would have had to move at the three-quarter pole it would have been a little tough. He has a hard time getting around that turn the odd time, especially when he's in high gear."

Bred by Susan Currie of Surrey, B.C., the Village Jiffy-Dal Reo Millee gelding is now two-for-six in his young career with earnings of $61,100.

Watch My Luck continued her undefeated win streak in the $100,000 final of the Mary Murphy Memorial Breeders Stakes for three-year-old pacing fillies with a 1:56.4 score for driver J.F. Gagne and trainer/partner Marjorie Dumont.

Watch My Luck was parked from post seven in sixth-place early on before settling in line near the quarter pole. She then picked up cover in front of the grandstand as Scarlet V (Paul Davies) tipped to the outside. Meanwhile, Millbanks Writer (Billy Davis Jr.) fronted the field through opening fractions of :28.3 and :58.3. Scarlet V advanced alongside the pacesetter as they headed into the backstretch and they battled head-to-head past three-quarters in 1:26.4 and into the stretch. However, Watch My Luck rallied out wide and went by the duelling leaders down the stretch to win by two lengths. Scarlet V finished second ahead of Millbanks Writer.

Watch My Luck was the 3-2 favourite and paid $4.70 to win. Unraced as a two-year-old, the Camluck-Watch Over Me miss is now five-for-five to start her career and has banked $75,700 in purses.

"She only had five starts and she's still green and head shy a little bit behind the gate and in the first turn with gravel coming at her," said Gagne, who also bred and shares ownership of Watch My Luck with Peter Van Seggelen of De Winton, Alta. and Carl Warnaar of Kelowna, B.C. "I had a little bit of a rough time to settle and as soon as I settled the tempo slowed down so I thought it was time to come right away and she held on until the end. She raced tough, she raced good."

The Wetaskiwin, Alta. horseman noted that Watch My Luck will head back to Alberta for the Northlands Filly Pace and may return to Fraser Downs later in the meet.

Three-year-old pacing gelding Illwinifican streaked to his sixth straight victory with a dominating performance in the $100,000 Robert Murphy Memorial Breeders Stakes.

The victory marked a successful B.C. Breeders Classic Day endeavour for Ontario driving star Doug McNair, who made the trip west for the catch-drive after having his appendix removed less than a week ago.

Leaving from post nine, McNair tucked Illwinifican into the two-hole before sweeping around the gelding's stablemate, Blissful Angel (Jim Marino), for the lead after a 29-second first quarter. The 1-9 favourite carved out middle splits of :58.2 and 1:27 and then drew off down the lane to win by five lengths and equal his lifetime mark of 1:54.4. He paid $2.30 to win. Blissfull Angel followed in second and Camita B And E (Paul Davies) finished back in third.

The Allamerican Native-Builttowin Hanover gelding was bred by Hanover Shoe Farms and is owned by Ray Thomson of Surrey, B.C. and trainer Dennis Johnston of Cultus Lake, B.C.

McNair previously visited Fraser Downs to drive a pair of B.C. Breeders Stakes winners for Johnston in the 2014 finals (including this year's runner-up Blissful Angel).

"That was the horse I came out to drive," said McNair of Illwinifican. "I didn't like the post position, the trailer, but anything can happen and it kind of did happen behind the gate. It couldn't have worked out any better and I just want to thank Dennis for bringing me out here again.

"We never had to use him at all. Down the backside and going to three-quarters, I was hoping he was healthy, that's all, because he got everything his own way and he just had to pace a quarter of a mile and he did. He's a nice colt, he's been a nice colt all year. He didn't need me to drive him to win that race, that's for sure."

Illwinifican hit the board in all five of his races as a freshman and now has seven wins and three seconds in 11 sophomore starts, with earnings totalling $115,250.

Illwinifican's victory today has his connections contemplating how he would stack up against the competition in Ontario.

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