The 2024 harness racing season concluded with Trust Me Alot winning Canada's final race of the year on New Year's Eve at Century Mile.
Trust Me Alot won the 11th race finale late Tuesday night for Century Mile's 2024 leading trainer Travis Ellis, with driver Mike Hennessy moving the 3-5 favourite into contention down the backstretch in the $6,500 pace for $10,000 claimers and powering three-wide to pass leader HF Devan James in front of the grandstand for the 3-1/4-length victory in 1:59.
The four-year-old Trust The Artist-Alot Of Sense mare, who earned her third consecutive triumph and eighth win from 23 seasonal starts, is owned by breeder Aurel Vodon of Virden and Trevor Williams of Landmark, Man. She paid $3.20 to win.
Ellis, who also combined with Hennessy to win the first race with Alberta newcomer Nogaseddie, lifted his leading win total at Century Mile in 2024 to 36. Nathan Sobey earned 27 victories at the Edmonton oval during the year to rank second in the trainer standings while Chris Lancaster overtook Brandon Campbell for third place with a pair of winners from his stable on the final program of the year bringing his total to 23.
Century Mile's top driver of the year was Phil Giesbrecht, who boosted his 2024 win count at the track to 61 with the addition of four victories on the New Year's Eve card. A Tuesday triple for Hennessy pushed his win total to 48 as he took the runner-up honours and Sobey rounded out the top three with 42 winning drives.
Giesbrecht teamed up with trainer Mathew Howlett and owner Don Howlett for three wins during the evening, including one with the streaking Baby Limbo in the sixth race, an $8,700 fillies and mares conditioned pace. The four-year-old Captain Crunch-Wanda Bayama mare capped off her debut campaign with a seven-race win streak as she swept up from the backfield mid-race to take command and drew off by 5-1/2 lengths for a 1:56.2 score this night despite drifting out off the final turn. Sent postward as the 4-5 favourite, she returned $3.80 to win. Y V Larceny and Ima Fist Fight duked it out for the minor spoils.
Live harness racing continues at Century Mile on Saturday, Jan. 4 with post time at 6:15 p.m.
To view Tuesday's harness racing results, click the following link: Tuesday Results - Century Mile.
(Standardbred Canada)