The favourites failed to find their way to victory lane in the fourth leg of the Robert Murphy Breeders Stake during Thursday’s card of racing at Fraser Downs, but that wasn’t the case for the fillies in their divisions of the Betty Millbank Memorial Breeders Stake.
Credit Risk was a wire-to-wire winner in his $15,000 division of the Robert Murphy Breeders Stake for three-year-old pacing colts and geldings for trainer/driver Jim Marino, who enjoyed a three-win performance on the 10-race card.
The son of Up The Credit-KG Tigress zipped through fractions of :28.2, :59.2 and 1:28.1 before storming home in :28 to win by 3-1/2 lengths over the dead-heating tandem of the odds-on favourite, Bobby Dazzler, and Imrunninonsunshine. The time for the mile was 1:56.1.
Marino co-owns the gelding with Brian Moyes, Ian Moyes and Steve Shand. The partners have watched the pacer assemble a 5-2-2 record from 11 trips to the track this season. He’s stashed away more than $70,000 to date.
The other $15,000 division went to One Big Cat in 1:55.4 for driver Paul Davies and trainer Debra Mc Carthy.
Davies treated the colt to a ground-saving trip through the opening half of the contest, but he was out and gunning as the field made its way to the three-quarter pole. Fire Of The Dragon threw down panels of :28, :58.3 and 1:27.3, but he couldn’t fend off late pressure. One Big Cat, who charged first-over, used a :28.1 kicker to win by 1-1/2 lengths over even-money favourite Tito Santanna. Fire Of The Dragon faded to finish third.
The son of American Ideal-Cats Meow won for the second time this season and for the seventh time in his career. Owned by J J J Stables of Prince George, BC, the sophomore is quickly closing in on $100,000 in lifetime earnings.
Yoga Pants gave trainer/driver Marino the stakes double on the card thanks to her blowout score in the first division of the Betty Millbank Memorial Breeders Stake for two-year-old pacing fillies.
The daughter of Sportswriter-Lucks Pleasure sat a four-hole trip through first-half fractions of :27.1 and :58.2, but Marino moved her in the backstretch and with an explosive kick she sprinted to the lead while racing parked past the three-quarter pole in 1:28.1. She used a :29.4 closing panel to win by 4-3/4 lengths over Keys Please in 1:58. Soft And Dry settled for third prize in the $15,000 affair.
Sent off as the 6-5 choice, Yoga Pants won for the third time in four tries for Marino, who shares ownership on the career winner of $26,250 with J J J Stables of Prince George, AB.
Lil Beach extended her winning streak to three-in-a-row in the other division for trainer/driver Rod Therres. He put the filly on the engine early, and after leading through intervals of :29, :58.3 and 1:27.3 she used a :30-second kicker to win by pair of lengths over Badlands Palace in 1:57.3. Third prize went to Sustainedintensity.
Breeder Robert Collier of Victoria shares ownership on the talented lass with Jane Kelly of Langley, BC. The daughter of Lil Dude Starrbuck-Greek Beach has banked $26,250 to date.
To view results for Thursday's card of harness racing, click the following link: Thursday Results – Fraser Downs.