Siblings Tito Santanna and Yoga Pants were stakes winners during Thursday’s card of racing at Fraser Downs, and that was music to the ears of trainer/driver Jim Marino.
The British Columbia oval hosted four stakes tilts – two divisions of the Betty Millbank Memorial Breeders Stake for two-year-old pacing fillies and two splits of the Robert Murphy Breeders Stake for three-year-old pacing colts and geldings.
Yoga Pants won her $15,000 division of the Betty Millbank Memorial Breeders Stake in 2:00 to get the ball rolling for Marino. The daughter of Sportswriter-Lucks Pleasure led through fractions of :30.2, 1:00.4 and 1:29.4 before cruising home in :30.1 to post the win by 3-1/4 lengths over Sustainedintensity. Third prize went to Attila The Hen.
Sent off as the 1-9 favourite in the five-filly affair, Yoga Pants improved her freshman record to 2-1-0 from three trips to the track. Marino shares ownership on the talented lass with J J J Stables of Prince George, BC.
Marino was back to victory lane two races later with that filly’s half-brother Tito Santanna, who was a handy winner in his $15,000 division of the Robert Murphy Breeders Stake. The son of Santanna Blue Chip-Lucks Pleasure sat a pocket trip behind race favourite One Big Cat before popping out late and firing home in :27.4 to win by 1-3/4 lengths over One Big Cat in a career-best clocking of 1:55.1. Taking home third prize was Fire Of The Dragon.
Marino owns the homebred who is now a two-time winner from 15 trips postward. Sent off at odds of 8-1, Tito Santanna has banked more than $30,000 to date.
Bobby Dazzler won the other division of the Robert Murphy Breeders Stake in 1:55.4 over Credit Risk and Bettors Mark. The son of Village Jiffy-Dal Reo Millee sat fourth through the first half of the $15,000 contest before making a first-over move going to the three-quarter pole. The gelding then used a :28.1 closing quarter to post the head decision over race favourite Credit Risk.
Clint Warrington, Jr. trains and drives the pacer for partners David and Freda Woolley of Langley, BC. The six-time winner owns a 4-1-0 record from just seven trips to the track this season. He’s banked close to $30,000 this season and more than $90,000 to date.
Lil Beach took the other division of the Betty Millbank Memorial Breeders Stake by a comfortable margin in a career-best clocking of 1:57.4. After making an early miscue, the filly regained her composure for trainer/driver Rod Therres and muscled her way to the top at the mid-way point of the mile. She had a solid lead at the three-quarter pole, and that lead increased to 5-1/4 lengths by the time she hit the line. Badlands Palace was next best, with Orangevale Gazette taking home third prize.
The homebred daughter of Lil Dude Starrbuck-Greek Beach now owns a 2-1-0 record from her first three attempts. She’s closing in on $20,000 in lifetime earnings for BC partners Robert Collier of Victoria and Jane Kelly of Langley.
To view results for Thursday's card of harness racing, click the following link: Thursday Results – Fraser Downs.