After posting a 32-1 upset in the elimination, Blue Star Mercury returned on Saturday (Oct. 21) evening at Century Mile to win the $110,710 Western Canada Pacing Derby from gate-to-wire.
Mike Hennessy wasted little time to secure the front from the rail with the Rod Hennessy trainee. Blue Star Mercury maintained a 1-1/2-length advantage as he tapped out panels in :27.4, :56.2 and 1:26.1. Down the lane, Blue Star Mercury continued his lead to the wire, winning by 1-1/2 lengths in a new career mark of 1:52.3. Over The Horizon (Nathan Sobey) finished second with Virtual Horizon (Brandon Campbell) closing sharply to take third.
Lorne Duffield co-owns the three-year-old gelded son of Mystician and the Rocknroll Hanover mare Lucky Lucka with Jean Crochetiere. Unraced as a freshman, Blue Star Mercury earned his fourth win in 19 starts this season. With a complete record of 4-6-3 and only missing the board once, he moved his career bankroll to $106,517. He paid $6.90 to win from 3-1 odds.
Campbell Earns Training Triple With Century Casino Filly Pace Triumph
Brandon Campbell drove himself to a training triple on Saturday evening. After posting victories with Rockin Roller ($2.40) in 1:51.3 and Tiempo Hanover ($5.30) in 1:53.1, Campbell steered Side Piece to her fifth win a row, taking the $134,300 Century Casino Filly Pace.
Side Piece took the early lead and never looked back as she handed out panels in :27.1, :56.4 and 1:25.3 before taking off to win by 4-1/2 lengths in 1:53.1. Iris Seelster (Nathan Sobey) finished second while Moonstruck (Kelly Hoerdt) took third.
Owned by J J J Stables and Jim Marino, Side Piece is a three-year-old daughter of Shadow Play and the Artsplace mare Queen Otra. With only one second-place finish, she earned her seventh victory in eight starts this season. In her career, Side Piece has accumulated $229,692 in earnings from a record of 11-1-0 in 14 starts. She returned a $2.90 win ticket.
Matteuse, Come On Santana Top Rocky Mountain Boys
Two divisions of the Rocky Mountain Boys Stakes for freshman colts and geldings were contested, each worth a $22,500 purse sum, with Matteuse earning bragging rights with the faster mile time.
With odds of 6-1, Matteuse and trainer Nathan Sobey accepted a pocket ride behind favoured Grey Horizon (Campbell) through panels in :28.1, :57.3 and 1:26.1. Down the lane, Matteuse sought a head on challenge with the leader as it came down to a photo finish at the wire. Matteuse won by a neck at the wire over Grey Horizon in a track record time of 1:53.2. Blueline Bruiser (Giesbrecht) rounded out the top three.
Matteuse (Custard The Dragon) is owned by Sobey, Robert Jones, Diane Bertrand and Robert Gilhespy. He earned his second career triumph and dropped his lifetime mark by three seconds for the victory. He paid $14.20 to win in the upset triumph.
Come On Santana used a gate-to-wire approach to top his field of five by nine lengths.
Jody Jamieson and the Jamie Gray student set the tempo through panels in :28, :59.1 and 1:29.2 before cruising home to an open lengths victory in 1:56. Big N Shiny (Giesbrecht) was second with Sharkasaurus (M. Hennessy) fourth, placed third.
Gray co-owns the freshman Santanna Blue Chip gelding with Max Gibb and Riley & Brie Gray. He moved his record to 4-2-1 in seven starts with $77,250 banked. He paid $3.10 to win as the favourite.
Born A Spy, Outlawguns N Roses Take Brad Gunn Splits
Outlawguns N Roses used a similar trip to Matteuse to win the faster of two Brad Gunn divisions for freshman fillies. Each division carried a $22,500 prize.
David Kelly and the Rod Starkewski trainee took the pocket trip behind favourite Byby Baby Byby (Hennessy) through panels in :27.4, :57.2 and 1:26.4. Kelly tugged on his right line in the final turn to send Outlawguns N Roses on the move and the pair opened up to win by 1-1/4 lengths in 1:54. Byby Baby Byby had to settle for second and Foothills Magic (Jamieson) took third.
Starkewski co-owns the Captive Audience filly with Clauzette Byckal as she moved her record to 4-2-0 in eight starts, accumulating $76,790 in career purse earnings. She paid $4.70 to win as the second choice.
Born A Spy and Giesbrecht took the second division by 7-3/4 lengths for trainer John Chappell.
Born A Spy got away second behind Y V Larceny (Sobey) as the first panel was hit in :28.3. Giesbrecht tugged on his right line to sweep to the top and the pair never looked back. After panels in :57.4 and 1:27.3, they opened up to cross the wire in 1:55.4. Caughtstealinghome (Jamieson) took second and Y V Larceny took the show spot.
Donna Wyse owns the freshman Smart Shark filly as she collected her fourth win and a new lifetime mark in six career outings. As the bettors' choice, she returned a $2.20 win ticket.
Shark Week Makes It 12 In Preferred
Despite an assigned outside post, Shark Week added another row of 'ones' to his lines as the Rod Hennessy trainee went gate-to-wire in the $14,000 Preferred Pace and earned his 12th victory in a row.
Mike Hennessy and Shark Week rocketed off the gate, but were beat to the pylons by Ernesto Delacruz (Jean Francois Gagne). Still powering from the outside, Shark Week was the first to the opening panel in :25.4. After assuming command, Shark Week clicked out two more panels in :54.4 and 1:23.3 before going on to win by 1-1/4 lengths in 1:50.2 to lower his own all-age track record. Ernesto Delacruz finished second and Samba Beat (Giesbrecht) completed the triactor.
Shark Week is owned by Rod Hennessy and Lorne Duffield. The five-year-old Vertical Horizon gelding has 17 wins in 21 starts this season and 37 career victories. He boasts $120,990 in seasonal earnings from $321,475 in career earnings. He paid $2.10 to win as the public choice.
To view Saturday's harness racing results, click the following link: Saturday Results - Century Mile.
Shark Week
Shark Week received several votes in last Tuesday's Top Ten Poll. Who else thinks that he deserves to be ranked? He has more wins this year than any other aged horse in North America. Shouldn't at least one horse that races on the western side of the continent be represented in the poll?