Outlawguns N Roses held off all challengers in her return to the $15,500 Fillies & Mares Preferred Pace at Century Mile on Friday, Oct. 16.
Driven by Dave Kelly, Outlawguns N Roses left the gate from post five with guns blazing and made front in a :27.2 opening quarter over inside leaver Miss Dilly Dali (Kelly Hoerdt) with recent Mares Preferred winner Outlaw Sharktastic (Nathan Sobey) landing in third. Outlawguns N Roses continued to lead through a rated half in :56.1 with 7-5 favourite Poker Queen (Phil Giesbrecht), a two-time Mares Preferred winner at the meet, coming from fourth to press the pace as they raced to three-quarters in 1:23.4.
The front-end fight went on down the lane with Outlawguns N Roses holding onto her lead while Little Rhys Chick (Drew Campbell) rallied from the back between foes diving to her inside and Blowing Inthe Wind (James Jungquist) stormed off cover outside for last-ditch efforts to reel in the pacesetter... but both were too late. Outlawguns N Roses prevailed in a season's best 1:52.4 mile by a quarter-length. Blowing Inthe Wind nabbed second and Little Rhys Chick was third.
Stepping back up to the Preferred distaff class off a victory last week against a conditioned class of mares at Century Mile, Outlawguns N Roses was sent postward as the 5-1 fourth choice and paid $13.60 to win.
Trainer Rod Starkewski co-owns the five-year-old Captain Audience-Gunslingin Gal mare with Clauzette Byckal of Onoway, Alta. A 24-time career winner from 68 starts, Outlawguns N Roses sits on the verge of the $500,000 earnings mark.
Kelly also had a win on Friday's card with trainer Chris Lancaster's Georgia Hanover, who dropping out of the Mares Preferred for a 1:52.4 score.
To view Friday's harness racing results, click the following link: Friday Results - Century Mile.
(Standardbred Canada)