The top Alberta-sired two and three-year-old pacers wrapped up their Alberta Sires Stakes season with four rich Super Finals and a handful of consolations on Saturday afternoon at Edmonton's Northlands Park
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Cloud Nine kicked off the Super Final action with a shocking 50-1 upset in the $75,000 event for two-year-old pacing fillies.
Undefeated in six career starts, Blue Star Beauty garnered all the attention in the freshman filly event and was bet down to 1-9. The Douglas Stout trainee left from Post 2 with Bill Tainsh Jr. in the bike and carved out early fractions of :27.2 and :57 with Cool One and Don Monkman Jr. sitting in the pocket, and Cloud Nine and Gerry Hudon in third.
As the fillies raced down the backstretch, Cloud Nine brushed to command with authority hitting three-quarters in 1:29, and then drew clear down the stretch to win by five and a half lengths in a career-best 2:00.3. Blue Star Beauty chased home the winner for second while 127-1 longshot Outlaw Star Maker and Connie Kolthammer closed from the backfield to grab the show dough.
The daughter of As Promised-Sparks Full Deck had Hudon, trainer Harold Haining and owner Donald Richardson of Cochrane, Alta. on cloud nine after scoring her third win in nine career starts.
"I drove her her earlier in the season in Lacombe and a couple of times when I used her she had real high speed for a piece so I knew she had it in her," said Hudon of Cloud Nine's authoritative backstretch brush. "Last week I drove this filly and at the wire she had a lot of pace. I finished third. I thought I could just suck along and probably get away third in here and finish second. And then up the backside when I moved her she just sprinted right around her [Blue Star Beauty]. Maybe there is something wrong with that filly today. She wasn't on her game. Today I was just lucky it was my good day and her bad day."
Having never missed a paycheque in her career, Cloud Nine boasts earnings of $53,262.
She paid a whopping $102 to win.
Comeshomeearly converted from the pocket to win the the $20,000 consolation by two lengths over pacesetter Outlaw Pot Of Gold and Connie Kolthammer in a career-best 1:59.1. The popular Brandons Cowboy-Cinderella Cam filly is owned by trainer-driver Keith Clark and Glenn Retzlaff of Fort Saskatchewan, Alta.
There were no surprises in the following Super Final as Minettas Nightstar delivered on her 6-5 pari-mutuel promise in the $75,000 event for three-year-old pacing fillies.
Fresh off a mild upset victory in the Alberta Marquis, Minettas Nightstar and driver Bobby Clark fired off the gate from Post 6 and put up a :27.2 opening panel before the parked out B C Fantasy and Jamie Gray cleared in front.
As the field raced down the backstretch towards the :57.2 half-mile mark, Minettas Nightstar was flushed back out and the daughter of Brandons Cowboy-Lucky X Ample swept to command. She opened up a couple of lengths on the field by the 1:26.3 three-quarters mark and held her own down the stretch to win in 1:56.2.
Im Sheila and Kelly Hoerdt came on for second, one and three-quarter lengths behind, while Barona Josie and Bill Tainsh Jr. rallied three-wide around the final turn to get up for third.
"She's raced tough everytime I've driven her, like today," said Bobby Clark in the winner's circle. "To cut it in that wind today was really tough. She got a little breather in the backstretch, but still, going through that wind is hard. She's just really tough."
Minettas Nightstar was one of four horses in the field trained by Hall of Fame horseman Keith Clark. He also shares ownership with John Hind of Calgary, Alta.
Minettas Nightstar paid $4.50 to win for the ninth time in 16 tries this year. The lion's share of the purse pushed her 2011 earnings to $132,729. Today's victory was her 13th lifetime and pushed her overall bankroll to $180,631.
Driven by John Chappell, Feelin Flush rallied three-wide past three-quarters and sprinted home to win the consolation in 1:58 by seven lengths over Big Bang Theory and Gerry Hudon. Douglas Shaw trains the popular daughter of As Promised-Royals Gotta Go for owners Gordon and Marilyn McDonald of Calgary, Alta.
Wrangler Betonme pushed his win streak to seven with a three length triumph in the next $75,000 Super Final for two-year-old colts and geldings.
Smooth Criminal and Connie Kolthammer took the lead from Post 4 during a :27-second opening quarter forcing Playbook and Keith Clark into the two-hole while Wrangler Betonme and Bill Tainsh Jr. were positioned third.
Down the backstretch, Wrangler Betonme was flushed first up and moved up alongside the leader past the :57.1 half-mile marker. He rolled on by and settled on top before hitting three-quarters in 1:25.4. Wrangler Betonme poured it on the stretch and paced to a 1:55.2 triumph. Smooth Criminal narrowed the winner's margin to three lengths coming in second while Mjjz R Us and Brent Grundy rallied three-wide past the third quarter mark to come on for third.
"He's one of the nicest horses that's been around here in a while. He's just a treat to drive," said Tainsh Jr. following the victory "There was an entry [Keith Clark trainees Playbook and Somethinsgoinon] in there and a three-horse entry [Connie Kolthammer trainees Outlaw Beacon, Smooth Criminal and Outlawtowerinferno] so you had to be a little bit careful. The front end has been getting stung a little bit -- there's a big wind up the backside -- so I figured we could out-sprint them somewhere in the mile. I just kind of waited for them to slow down a little bit for the right opportunity and went with him. He's a big, strong horse. I didn't think anybody could step with him for a quarter mile of a mile or whatever so that was the strategy going in."
Tainsh Jr. noted that the 1:55.2 mile time was a "hugh" effort on the track today facing windy conditions and his colt had even more left in the tank.
"You have to leave into it [the wind] and they're stake races so everybody is leaving pretty good," he said. "Once you get past the half, you're into that wind again so it's been taking its toll on a lot of horses for sure."
Following a runner-up performance in his career debut, Wrangle Betonme has won every race since including his Alberta Rising Star, Lonestar and Shooting Star divisions. The son of As Promised-Ja El Shamrock, who has banked $85,210 to date, is owned by breeders Dr. Maurice Stewart and Maureen Stewart of Leduc, Alta., along with Lyle and Sandy Reid of Sherwood Park, Alta.
Wrangler Betonme returned $3 to win as the favourite.
In the $20,000 consolation, co-favourite Cowboy Caper came on to score a half-length victory in 1:59.1 off a two-hole trip for trainer-driver Kelly Hoerdt. Arroway and John Chappell were second. The Alberta Shooting Star division winner, a son of Brandons Cowboy-Prom Miss, is owned by Hoerdt and partners Blair Corbeil of Beaumont, Alta., and Calgary's Peter Morris and Roque Consultants Inc.
Three-year-old pacing gelding Hollywood Warrior reached the wire just in time to add a $75,000 Super Final victory to his own four-race win streak.
Leaving from the outside Post 8, Bachelor Pad and driver Gerry Hudon crossed down to the rail early on, but gave way to his parked out stablemate, Hollywood Warrior and driver Keith Clark, past the :27-second first quarter mark.
The Alberta Maverick champion took a breather during the second panel and reached the half in :58.1 while Silver Eagle and Bill Tainsh Jr. advanced first up from fourth with Wannabe Cowboy and Ryan Grundy following his cover.
Hollywood Warrior proceeded to three-quarters in 1:25.4 and turned for home with Wannabe Cowboy firing wide, full of late pace. Hollywood Warrior battled right to the wire for the victory, a 1:55.4 triumph by half a length. Wannabe Cowboy fell a step short at the wire and settled for second while favourite Silver Eagle finished third.
Gerry Hudon trains the son of Allamerican Merlin-Southwind Madison for owners Bill Boden of Vancouver, B.C. and birthday girl Monica Hudon of Edmonton, Alta.
"He raced a big trip. It wasn't one of my best drives in the world so the horse did all the work today," admitted Keith Clark in the winner's circle. "The guy on the rail [Silver Eagle and Bill Tainsh Jr.], he wanted the front and he kind of out-stepped me and then they looped me from the outside. Thank god Gerry made the front so I had a chance to get the lead. But for him to hang on -- you know the front end hasn't been holding today and he had a tough time getting there -- he raced real tough. Gerry did a good job getting this guy ready for when the money was down and he got it."
Unraced as a two-year-old, Hollywood Warrior, has put together a record reading 9-8-1 in 21 starts while banking $127,581.
Hollywood Warrior paid $6.10 to win as the 2-1 second choice.
In the $20,000 consolation, favourite Caress Of Steel and driver Jeff Stone advanced to the lead from fifth and cruised to a three and a quarter length victory in 1:58.3 over Freddy B Reddy and Brandon Campbell. Lance Ward trains the homebred son of Ludwigpanbeethoven-Madigan Mae for owner Joe Tinelli of St. Albert, Alta.
To view Saturday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Saturday Results - Northlands Park.