Three-year-old pacing filly Yoga Pants is on track to defending her title in the B.C. Breeders Stakes as she notched her fourth straight win in the Mary Murphy preliminaries on Sunday afternoon (October 29) at Fraser Downs.
In the first of two $15,000 fourth leg divisions, Yoga Pants and driver/trainer Jim Marino crossed to command from the outside post six and posted a :27.3 opening quarter to pocket Tahuya Gameday (John Abbott), who tracked her every move through middle splits of :58.3 and 1:27.2 before launching an attack in the stretch. However, Yoga Pants prevailed by half a length in 1:56.3 as the 1-9 favourite, completing a training triple on the card for Marino. Tahuya Shehawk finished over a dozen lengths behind in third at long odds of 174-1.
Yoga Pants boasts a near-perfect 10-for-11 sophomore record after going five-for-six as a two-year-old. The Sportswriter-Lucks Pleasure filly has earned $277,409 lifetime for owner J J J Stables of Prince George, B.C.
Keys Please broke through for her first win the series in the other division for trainer Paul Urquhart and local owner/breeder Simone Urquhart.
Driven by Serge Masse, even-money favourite Keys Please forged to the front over insider Jans Legacy (Dennis Johnston) through a :26.4 opener and then rated middle panels of :57.2 and 1:26.2 en route to a four-length victory in 1:56.4. Stylomilohos (Travis Bowman) came on for second while Jans Legacy finished 11 lengths back in third.
The Mister Big-Witskey filly, who hit the board in all three prior legs and was last year's championship runner-up to Yoga Pants, earned a new lifetime mark while notching her third career win.
Marino and J J J Stables doubled up in Sunday's stakes action as Ron Bakardi won the $20,000 Robert Millbank fourth leg for two-year-old pacing colts and geldings.
The Badlands Hanover-Artfromtheheart gelding closed through the passing lane off a pocket trip to defeat the popular pacesetter Canadian Pharoh (:28.2, :59, 1:27.1) and Rod Therres by half a length in a career-best clocking of 1:56.3. Dragon Slayer (Paul Davies) followed three lengths behind in third, giving Marino and J J J Stables a 1-3 finish.
Ron Bakardi, who broke his maiden while making his career debut in the Millbank on October 5 and was a runner-up in two subsequent legs, paid $10.70 to win as the 4-1 third wagering choice.
To view Sunday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Sunday Results - Fraser Downs.