The win payouts increased as the two-year-old stakes action progressed at Century Downs Racetrack and Casino on Saturday (October 1), ending with Triple Thick Shake posting a double-digit upset in a division of the Neal Adler Memorial.
Saturday's harness racing program at Century Downs featured two $25,000 divisions of the Horizon Pace for freshman colts and geldings and a pair of $25,000 Adler divisions for the fillies.
In the Horizon opener, Mateo rebounded from his interference disqualification in the last Alberta Sires Stakes leg to equal his lifetime mark of 1:57.1 over a sloppy track for driver and co-owner Jim Marino.
Amysterytome crossed in front of Mateo off the gate and put up a solid :28.1 first quarter before Mateo pulled the pocket heading into the backstretch. The Blue Burner-Mater Deo gelding forged past Amysterytome as they raced by the half-mile mark in :58.3 and Marino kept him to task despite drifting out heading to three-quarters in 1:27.1. Mateo then held off the oncoming favourite, Senga Nitro, as those two scooted away from the rest of the field down the stretch. Mateo prevailed by one length over Senga Nitro, who trailed early on before challenging late in the mile. Amysterytome finished 10 lengths behind in third.
Mateo, who now boasts four wins in six starts and earnings of $32,493, is trained by Darryl Cutting and co-owned by Christine Cutting. He paid $5.90 to win with Senga Nitro slightly favoured in the wagering.
Da Magician persisted on the lead for Serge Masse to win the second Horizon Pace division in a photo finish over the favoured Ima Dude.
Da Magician fired to the front from post six and kept outsider Retros Mystery parked out past the :28.1 first quarter. That rival eventually found a spot along the pylons in third. After the :59.1 half-mile mark, Ima Dude was pulled from the pocket and gained a slight advantage on the outside, but Da Magician fought back to three-quarters in 1:28.1 and ultimately prevailed by a nose in 1:59.1 after duelling with the favourite the rest of the way. Fallout Boy, the longest shot on the board at 48-1, closed from the backfield and finished three and three-quarter lengths behind the top pair in third.
Da Magician, who is now four-for-nine in his career, paid $7.70 to win as the 5-2 second favourite. The Dragon Again-Hottie Hanover colt bumped his bankroll to $38,217 for Masse.
Shesamysterytome was in the spotlight next as she overcame her post eight starting spot to win the first of two Adler divisions.
Trainer/driver Ryan Grundy hustled the Mystery Chase-Allamerican Boo filly out to a four-length lead during the :28.1 opening quarter and rated a second panel to the half in :58.2. Meanwhile, even-money favourite Wedding Dance gained one position on the way to the midway mark and tucked in behind the race leader. Shesamysterytome continued to dominate past three-quarters in 1:27.3 and won by two and a half lengths in 1:59.2 with Outlaw Imahotvixen coming on for second over an all-out Wedding Dance.
Sent postward as the 9-2 third choice on the toteboard, Shesamysterytome paid $11.40 to win. The Grundy trainee notched her second victory and has finished no worse than second in six career starts to earn $20,057 to date for owners Ashlee Sluggett and Trevor Williams.
Triple Thick Shake pulled off the biggest upset in Saturday's stakes, circling the second field of Adler fillies to defeat favourite Outlaw Fireball at odds of 16-1.
Second choice Last Time To Play looped leaver Thats It after a :28.1 first quarter and carved out middle splits of :58.1 and 1:28.1. Meanwhile, trailer Triple Thick Shake followed Outlaw Fireball as that filly began to advance from the back of the pack and went wide around a first-up Cardinal Rule down the backstretch. Outlaw Fireball struck the front around the final turn, but Triple Thick Shake tracked her down to win by half a length in 1:59.1. Steady Breeze finished two and three-quarter lengths behind in third.
Gerry Hudon engineered the winning trip aboard Triple Thick Shake, who returned $34.10 for a $2 win ticket. Harold Haining conditions the daughter of Mystery Chase and The Three Of Us for owner Donald Richardson. Triple Thick Shake earned her second victory and boosted her earnings to $23,885 in six starts.
To view Saturday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Saturday Results - Century Downs.