A stakes sweep typically brings nothing but joy to the winning connections, but there were mixed emotions as Rod Therres pupils swept the $100,000 stakes finals for two-year-olds on Thursday, Oct. 24 at Fraser Downs.
Therres trainee Heavens Lil Dragon ($6.10) kicked off the stakes scores, making every call a winning one in the $100,000 Betty Millbank Memorial for two-year-old pacing fillies.
Sent off as the slight 2-1 second choice, Heavens Lil Dragon and Rod Therres flew away fiercely from the starting gate for the early lead, pocketing up Machnroll Fantasy (Scott Knight) while fending off the challenge of outside leaver Threecurtaincalls (Phil Giesbrecht).
After a :28.1 opener, Heavens Lil Dragon repelled the bid of Threecurtaincalls, who Giesbrecht tried to tuck down to the pylons but couldn't find a hole and thus continued an overland journey. Heavens Lil Dragon maintained her advantage through middle fractions of :59 and 1:28.3, then held off a late bid from the pocket-popping and stretch-drifting Machnroll Fantasy for the lifetime best 1:57.4 score. Threecurtaincalls stayed for show.
Trained by Therres, Heavens Lil Dragon (Custard The Dragon - Bin N Heaven) pushed her summary to 4-2-0 in six starts. Her share of the purse lifted her earnings to $70,125 for owners Therres, Ralph Therres of Surrey, KFC Farms Ltd. of Abbotsford, and the late Dairen Edwards of Langley, B.C., a longtime partner of Therres who passed away earlier this week.
"Very mixed [emotions]," said Therres in a post-race interview. "It's been a sad couple of days, for sure.
"The [yearling] I wanted went for $60,000 and we didn't have that much so I got this one for $17,000. You never know."
Those same connections returned to the winner's circle for the $100,000 Robert Millbank Memorial when rookie pacing colt Fubar Bundy ($2.40) preserved his perfect record.
Sent off as the 1-5 choice, Fubar Bundy and Therres left stoutly from the outermost post and worked hard to clear Odins Fury (Glenn White) through a :27.3 opening panel. Fubar Bundy maintained his standing through middle splits of :56.4 and 1:25.3, and looked strong turning for home until he straightened for the wire. Except he didn't straighten, he drifted wide and allowed Odins Fury to gain on him. Therres kept his colt to task and he held on — but barely held on — for the 1:54.4 score. West Coast McCoy (Giesbrecht) filled out the bottom of the triactor ticket.
"I think Dairen was with us tonight," Therres said to Dawn Lupul. "I think he might have moved the wire or something.
"After the wire in his races, he'll pace out faster than he did in the race," Therres continued. "He's got a breathing problem, and I don't know if he needs surgery or not...I did not like the eight hole because I knew I was going to have to start him up and then shut him down."
Fubar Bundy (All Bets Off - Guthrie Hanover) is now unbeaten in five starts with $76,000 in earnings for trainer / co-owner Therres and co-owners Ralph Therres, KFC Farms Ltd. and Dairen Edwards.
Grey Sea and driver John Abbott delivered as the 8-5 public choice in the $10,000 Fillies & Mares Preferred Pace, going all the way for the 1:53.2 decision over a determined Outlaw Spice Rum (Therres). That runner-up's stablemate Goodbye Ceia Later (Dave Kelly) was next best.
Now a winner of $164,550, five-year-old Grey Sea (Custard The Dragon - Preference) picked up her 20th lifetime victory for breeder / owners Seaspray Stables Ltd. of Nanaimo, B.C. Gord Abbott handles the training on the eye-catching campaigner, who paid $5.50 to win.
For the results from Thursday's card of harness racing in British Columbia, click the following link: Thursday Results - Fraser Downs.
(Standardbred Canada; photo of Fubar Bundy as the headline image)