Alberta's top ranked mares of 2014 faced each other together for the first time this year in Friday night's $10,000 Fillies & Mares Open Pace at Northlands Park with Travis Cullen trainee Feelin Flush coming out a winner.
Driven by Cullen in her return to the Open ranks, Feelin Flush led the mares wire-to-wire (:29, :59.3, 1:28.4, 1:58.2) over the snow covered track for her 34th career win, returning $6.60 at the betting windows. Stablemate Sing Like An Angel, sent off as the 3-5 favourite, followed three lengths behind with Bill Tainsh Jr. in the bike while Douglas Stout trainee Blue Star Beauty and Jamie Gray finished third. The top three finishers are all 2014 Alberta Standardbred Horse Association Award finalists for Champion Aged Mare.
Cullen, a multiple award nominee himself in the Trainer, Driver and Horseperson categories, co-owns both mares -- the winner with Ken Hanson of Strathclair, Manitoba.
Feelin Flush now has back-to-back victories in the first four starts of her seven-year-old campaign after winning 11 times and hitting the board on 10 other occasions in 30 races last year while earning $68,200.
The ASHA Awards Banquet will be held on Sunday, February 1 at the Northlands Paddock Theatre in Edmonton.
To view Friday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Friday Results - Northlands Park.