Brandon Campbell and Jim Marino must have a volume discount with the photographer at Fraser Downs because they're making very frequent appearances in the track's winner's circle.
Evidence of this theory was presented on Thursday (October 24) when driver Campbell won half the 12-race card and Marino picked up a training triple. Even more impressive was that Campbell only won with two favourites.
Campbell and Marino first clicked during the stakes action that kicked off the card. Rookie pacer Major Custard continued the impressive start to his career with a sharp 1:54.4 score in the fourth leg of the Robert Millbank Memorial Breeders Stake, following up that win by sweeping the Millbank fourth leg Strateontilmorning.
Pacing mare GTs Jamie held on for Campbell to win the tenth race and triple up Marino. Campbell also found the winner's circle in the fifth race aboard Fast Lane Jack, with Pure Addition in the eighth and Risque Miss in the eleventh.
Campbell's numbers for 2019 could end up being some of his best ever. Purse-wise, his $900,000+ sits fourth best in his career with Alberta Super Finals and BC Breeders Classic Day still on the horizon.
Marino's numbers were affected by his pelvis injury early in 2019 and sending a fair number of horses to trainers like Amy Henry to compete in Alberta, but his percentages are as solid as ever.
A busy card of harness racing at Fraser also featured two divisions in the fourth leg of the Mary Murphy Breeders Stakes for three-year-old pacing fillies. Hottieonthehorizon captured her fourth straight Murphy leg for trainer Rick Lancaster and driver Kelly Hoerdt with a gate-to-wire victory in 1:55.3. The Blue Yak played spoiler in the second division, taking advantage of a pocket trip to outsprint her foes home and upset at odds of 15-1. Winning her first race of 2019, The Blue Yak is owned, trained and driven by John Hudon.
Despite showing solid recent form at Century Mile, pacing mare Custard Lite was dismissed at 17-1 odds in Thursday's $12,000 Fillies & Mares Open. John Abbott positioned the four-year-old mare second over after the opening half, then tipped her three-wide around the final turn to give her clear sailing. Custard Lite then powered past the pacesetting Tahiti Seelster (Dave Hudon) and held off the late charge of favoured Cusdmagicdragon (Kelly Hoerdt) to win in a career best time of 1:53. Gord Abbott is handling the training duties on Custard Lite in B.C. for Lorne Duffield of Edmonton and Rod Hennessy of Falun, Alta.
To view the results from Thursday's card of harness racing at Fraser Downs, click the following link: Thursday Results - Fraser Downs.