Senga Nitro Sets Record; Redwood Hospitalized

Published: October 16, 2016 07:33 pm EDT

Senga Nitro established a new two-year-old track record at Century Downs Racetrack and Casino as the Calgary oval hosted the final Shooting Star leg of the Alberta Sires Stakes for the freshman pacing colts and geldings on Sunday afternoon (October 16).

Senga Nitro ($3.80) remained perfect through the three Sires Stakes legs, with his latest feat a 1:55.4 track record mile over a 'good' track for trainer/driver Ryan Grundy and owner Kenneth Gunn. His winning time was one-fifth of a second faster than the former two-year-old record, which was held by gelding Blue Star Jet and filly Wedding Dance.

The Blue Burner-Nells Sweet Future gelding took the lead from post five in the afternoon's first $27,400 division and cruised through fractions of :29, :59 and 1:27.4 before sealing the deal with a :28 final frame that put him three and three-quarter lengths ahead of his competition. Amysterytome (Brandon Campbell) followed in the pocket throughout and finished second while Mateo (J.F. Gagne) finished back in third.

Senga Nitro now boasts five wins from seven career starts and earnings of $54,766.

Also a repeat winner in the Sires Stakes, Wabash Cannonball ($10.60) came from off-the-pace to defeat the front-striding favourite Retros Mystery in the second division with Phil Giesbrecht driving for the Kelly Hoerdt stable.

While Restros Mystery (Gerry Hudon) led through fractions of :29.3, 1:00.1 and 1:29, Wabash Cannonball followed in sixth-place early on before tracking the cover of Beer Bribe (Keith Clark) and angling wide down the backstretch. Beer Bride was able to tuck into a two-hole opening while Wabash Cannonball pressed on and went by Restros Mystery in the stretch to score by three lengths in 1:59.1. Restros Mystery stayed for second and Beer Bribe finished third.

Wabash Cannonball was scratched from the first round of the Alberta Sires Stakes, but has won both of his starts in the program. The Mystery Chase-Western Gift colt is now two-for-six in his career with earnings totalling $33,232 for Hoerdt and co-owners Peter Giannakopoulos and Blair Corbeil.

The Alberta Super Finals and Consolations for all divisions will be contested on Saturday, Oct. 29.

Earlier on the card, Sunday's fourth race was marred by a two-horse accident that sent driver Tyler Redwood to hospital.

Three-year-old gelding Mr Prominister broke stride and fell while racing in third-place after the first quarter heading towards the turn, sending Redwood to the track. Filly Ganymeda Gold was following in fourth and could not avoid colliding with Mr Prominister, flipping Nathan Sobey out of his race bike and onto his feet towards the infield. The trailing two horses in the field of maiden pacers were able to maneuver outside of the fallen horses, although it appeared Redwood was hit by one of the sulky wheels.

According to officials from Century Downs, Redwood was taken to hospital to be checked out with possible lower back and rib injures. Sobey was able to resume his driving duties on the program. Both horses involved were not seriously injured.

The race was declared a 'No Contest' resulting in a full pari-mutuel refund of wagers.

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

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