Third round action of the Mary Murphy Breeders Stake and the Robert Murphy Breeders Stake highlighted Thursday’s 11-race card at Fraser Downs, with three of the four divisions going to the post time favourites.
Fast Lane Elektra was the lone upsetter, as she posted a neck decision over odds-on favourite Scarlet V in the first of two divisions of the Mary Murphy Breeders Stake for three-year-old pacing fillies.
Scarlet V shot to the front and Fast Lane Elektra pocketed up and stalked that front-stepping foe through fractions of :27.2, :57.3 and 1:26.3 before finding clearance and using a :29.4 closing quarter to prevail by the narrow margin. Killer Attitude rounded out the top three finishers in the $15,000 affair.
Darren Lupul of Vancouver, BC owns and trains the daughter of Armbro Deuce-Siena Hanover, who was driven to victory by Kevin Anderson. It was the first win of the season in nine tries for the three-time winner. She’s banked more than $45,000 to date.
Millbanks Writer settled for third-place finishes in the first two legs of the Mary Murphy Breeders Stake, but she was a handy winner in Thursday’s third-leg assignment.
Trainer/driver Bill Davis had her on the lead through intervals of :27, :57.4 and 1:26.3 before cruising home in :30.3 to win by 3-1/4 lengths over Fast Lane Firebolt in 1:57.1. Rounding out the Triactor ticket was Kootenay Mystic.
The daughter of Sportswriter-Millbanks Award, who was let go at odds of 4-5, races for the British Columbia partnership of Veikko Pajunen of Vancouver and Rod Therres of Surrey. It was her first win of the year in 11 starts, and her share of the loot bumped her bankroll to $33,641.
Illwinifican remains perfect in the preliminary legs of the Robert Murphy Breeders Stake thanks to his 1:56.2 triumph in Thursday’s first division. Bill Davis hustled the Dennis Johnston into the two-hole, and he remained there until the second quarter of the $15,000 contest. The pacer charged to the lead and proceeded to slice out middle splits of :59.2 and 1:28.3 before using a :27.4 kicker to win by 5-3/4 lengths over Tahuya Roadster. Rounding out the top three was Mister Hat.
The 1-2 favourite improved his 2015 record to 5-3-0 from nine starts while bumping his career earnings to $57,750 for Dennis Johnston and partner Ray Thomson.
Mystic Ruler took the other division of the Robert Murphy Breeders Stake in 1:56 in gate-to-wire fashion for trainer/driver Bill Davis. The son of Camystic-Tough Promise charged to the lead and after supplying fractions of :27.1, :57.2 and 1:26.1 the gelding stepped home in :29.4 to win by three-quarters of a length over Blissful Angel. Third prize went to On Tahuya Time.
Sent off at odds of 2-5, the pacer won for the third time this season and for the fifth time in his career. He’s quickly closing in on $50,000 in lifetime earnings for owner/breeder Evert Vandenborn of Langley, BC.
Thursday’s card also featured the $10,500 Fillies & Mares Open Pace, and it went to Phone Terror in 1:54.2. Trainer/driver Serge Masse worked out a two-hole trip for the distaffer, who stalked the tempo-setting Pureform Goodtogo through first-half panels of :27.1 and :57. Phone Terror was out and driving in the third quarter, and she worked her way to the lead going past the three-quarter pole in 1:25.2. She then used a :29-second kicker to win by a length over Sheezgotdawoogies. Just One More grabbed the show dough.
Lucy Raymond of Edmonton, AB owns the six-year-old daughter of Western Terror-Miss Lex, who improved her 2015 record to 8-2-3 from 26 starts. She lifted her lifetime earnings over $390,000 with the win.
To view results for Thursday's card of harness racing, click the following link: Thursday Results – Fraser Downs.