Beaten by just a neck in his return appearance on the west coast last weekend, Primary Purpose put forth a season's best 1:52.4 effort in his $5,000 Harvest Stake elimination for aged pacers on Sunday at Fraser Downs
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Last week's Open winner and this week's fan favourite Trust The Artist (Scott Knight) established the lead during a :26.4 opening quarter ahead of Primary Purpose and trainer-driver Rod Therres.
Trust The Artist led the field of seven to the half in :55.1 and three-quarters in 1:24 with Killean Cut Kid (Kelly Hoerdt) advancing first up from fourth and Clintons Escape (Tim Brown) following his cover.
Primary Purpose pulled the pocket as the field turned for home and unleashed a :28.3 final frame to prevail while Clintons Escape fired home for second place honours with three-quarters of a length separating the top two. Trust The Artist finished one length behind in third.
Primary Purpose paid $11.80 to win as the 9-2 third choice. Therres also owns and bred the five-year-old gelded son of Cammibest and Sing Mitzi For Me, who spent some time racing in Ontario the last few years. The win was his fourth in nine starts this year and pushed his 2011 earnings to $25,225. The 20-time career winner now boasts a bankroll of $443,304.
Nobody Can, driven by Jim Marino, delivered on his pari-mutuel promise in the other elimination as he rallied home from third over in :28.3 to win in 1:53.3. Three-quarters of a length separated the winner, second place finisher Cash Account (Carl Sibiga) and third place finisher Stonebridge Lyric (Kelly Hoerdt).
Nobody Can paid $4.30 to win. He was also making his second start on the west coast after spending the summer racing at Tioga Downs in New York. The four-year-old son of Kents On Nuke and Battalia Hanover is owned and bred by trainer Alan Anderson and the J J J Stables of Aldergrove, B.C. The win was his second (consecutive) in nine seasonal starts and lifted his earnings to $19,100 for the year. The win was lucky No. 13 for the bay gelding and brought his overall bankroll to $192,801.
Earlier on the card, even-money favourite Jans Rich Girl, trained and driven by Scott Knight, front-stepped her way to a close 1:54.4 triumph during the meet's first $12,500 Fillies & Mares Open Pace. Sunbury Stables' six-year-old Camluck mare held off the quick-closing Red Star Dana (Serge Masse) and Doober Hoozzitz (Glenn White) by a neck. Pocket-sitter Western Bee (J.F. Gagne) finished three-quarters of a length back in fourth. Rossridge Fortune (Tim Brown) rounded out the field finishing just over a length behind.
Jans Rich Girl, a winner of seven races in 21 starts this year and $50,519, was returning to the track after a three month layoff. She won her last start -- the Mares Open on July 17 at Alberta Downs.
For results from Sunday's harness racing card, click on the following link: Fraser Downs - Sunday Results.