Rookies took centre stage on Saturday (Oct. 29) at Century Downs with fillies fighting in divisions of the Emerald Filly Pace and colts competing in Rocky Mountain Boys divisions.
Each of the stakes events when postward with a $25,000 purse.
In the first Emerald Filly division, Caviar N Crackers tried to hold off the late surge of Beep Bop A Lula as those two fillies hit the line together with a photo called to the determine the winner.
Caviar N Crackers made a very quick misstep heading into the first turn, but driver Mike Hennessy was able to settle the youngster and stay in contention. With longshot Missionized (Logan Gillis) fronting the field through a moderate tempo, Hennessy right-lined the 6-5 shot early and cleared to the top before the :59.2 half. Favoured Promise Kept (Brandon Campbell) started a backside move but couldn't fire to gain sufficiently on the leader as the third station was reached in 1:28.4. Beep Bop A Lula was originally asked by driver David Kelly to stay close to the pylons in fourth around the final turn, but he then changed tactics for a stretch drive bid in the three path. Flying down the lane, Bee Bop A Lula gained on Caviar N Crackers with every stride, and those two fillies literally hit the wire together with judges declaring a dead heat to win. Missionized stayed for third.
For Caviar N Crackers, that's her third win in six appearances for trainer / breeder / owner Rod Starkewski of Lamont, Alta. The daughter of Captive Audience and former Starkewski stable standout Crackers Hot Shot now sports a $34,425 bankroll. She paid $2.80 to win.
Beep Bop A Lula paid $4.60 to win in her first career tally. Kelly trains and co-owns the daughter of Vertical Horizon - Jerrys Girl along with Don & Dan McDougall. Beep Bop A Lula now boasts a $13,425 bankroll.
Dear John Im Gone connected for 15-1 upset in the second Emerald Filly division. Phil Giesbrecht settled the filly in fourth while Beach Myst (Kelly Hoerdt) rambled loose on the lead through fractions of :29.4, :59.3 and 1:28.1. Cenalta Token (Kelly) made a move from the pocket around the far turn but Giesbrecht had Dear John Im Gone launched three-wide around a stalled Cora Cora Cora (Jamie Gray). Sprinting home in :29.3, Dear John Im Gone collared her rivals in deep stretch and hit the wire more than a length the best in 1:59.1. Cenalta Token and Beach Myst completed the top trio.
Jacques Lambert trains Dear John Im Gone (Vertical Horizon - Lyons Jewels) for owners Julie Lambert of Red Deer County, Alta. and Catellier Bros Inc. of St. Malo, Man. The win is her second lifetime and she's now picked up $31,950 in purses. A $2 in ticket returned $32.80.
Giesbrecht followed those off-the-pace tactics to connect for victory in the first division of the Rocky Mountain Boys. He sat sixth and last with second choice The Dickens through fractions of :28.2, :58.3 and 1:27.4 put up by Lumber Baron (Hennessy). Fanning four-wide around the far turn, The Dickens was still sixth and four lengths off the leader turning for home but closed like the dickens and got up for the half-length decision over Panda Beer (Kelly) in 1:58.1. Lumber Baron stayed for show.
Donna Sarin trains The Dickens (Custard The Dragon - Show Some Leg) for owner / breeder 8113564 Canada Ltd. of Sherwood Park, Alta. The brown colt picked up his third victory in eight starts, and now has $32,838 banked along the way. He paid $7.20 to win.
Tin Can Timmy ($17.80) was the fastest of the freshmen competing in stakes action on Saturday, winning his Rocky Mountain division in 1:56.4. Logan Gillis settled the son of Bjs Bequia - Free Tunes into third early, allowed the front-end dust between Handsome Dan (Kelly Hoerdt) and Over The Horizon (Nathan Sobey) to settle and then moved to the front through a :59.1 half. Gillis put the pedal to the metal through a :28.3 third panel to repel the challenge of favoured Virtual Horizon (Brandon Campbell) and then he paced home in :29 to score by 1-1/2 lengths over Virtual Horiozon in 1:56.4. General Custard (Kelly) was best of the rest in third.
Kelly Crump trains Tim Can Timmy for breeder / owner Stephen Crump of Scandia, Alta. He's won half of his eight starts, adding two runner-up finishes for $40,650 in earnings.
In the $13,500 Fillies & Mares Preferred, If Only Id Known ($7.30) enjoyed a pocket ride from the time the wings folded into the far turn. Nathan Sobey then angled her to the outside of favoured pacesetter Stash The Cookies (Logan Gillis) and the second choice responded with a :29 final panel to get up for the half-length score in 1:54.2.
Sobey trains the four-year-old daughter of Shadow Play - Michelles Fury for Velda Olding of Abbotsford, B.C. and Rob Ostashek Holdings Ltd. of Edmonton, Alta. That's her fifth win on the campaign and 12th lifetime, with the win lifting earnings to $144,593.
For results from Saturday's card of harness racing at Century Downs, click the following link: Saturday Results - Century Downs.