Trainer Rod Therres swept the third leg of the Betty Millbank Memorial Stakes as two-year-old pacing filly Probert remained undefeated while stablemate Indigo Beach broke her maiden on Friday night (Oct. 18) at Fraser Downs.
Probert, the 1-2 favourite, earned her fourth win in front-stepping fashion while taking a new lifetime mark of 1:57.1 in sloppy conditions. Therres owns the Dali-Outlawcherishafool filly, who cleared Yjuliahos in front of the grandstand the first time and bested that foe by 1-3/4 lengths in the B.C. Breeders Stakes event. Partyindaparkinlot finished 14-3/4 lengths behind in third.
After hitting the board in her first three starts, 4-1 second choice Indigo Beach made it into the win column as she converted a pocket trip into a three-length tally. The Shadow Play-Greek Beach filly, co-owned by Therres and Ruth Cridland, took the lead at the top of the stretch and won in 2:00 over the sloppy track, with favourite Riverunsnappy edging out pacesetter Bootscootn Annie for second-place in the passing lane.
The third preliminary round of the Robert Murphy Memorial Stakes for three-year-old male pacers was also contested on Friday and Kneedeep N Custard was victorious once again. Sent postward as the 1-5 favourite, the Western Canada Pacing Derby champion was on top by the quarter pole and held off the pocket-pulling Rockin N Talkin by a half-length to earn his fourth straight victory. The final time was 1:54.1. Spiderdman finished 6-1/4 lengths behind in third. Kelly Hoerdt drives, trains and co-owns the Custard The Dragon-Art Amour gelding, who has a dozen wins from 20 starts so far in his debut season, with Blair Corbeil and Fred Gilbert.
A runner-up to Kneedeep N Custard in the opening legs, Bettor Cat was able to shine in a separate division this week as the 2-5 favourite. Scott Knight drove the J J J Stables' homebred to victory in 1:56 flat with Major Winker following 2-1/4 lengths behind and Sea Laird rounding out the top three finish order. Jim Marino trains and co-owns the Bettors Delight-Cats Meow gelding, who earned his second win of the year and sixth overall from 14 starts.
In regular racing action, Iwontdothatagain was a repeat winner in the $12,000 Open for Hoerdt and co-owner Ed Keryliuk. The eight-year-old gelded son of Stonebridge Regal collared the favoured pacesetter Boiling Oar at the end of the 1:54 mile for his 35th career win.
To view Friday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Friday Results - Fraser Downs.