The stage is set for the final showdowns of the 2026 Alberta Sires Stakes (ABSS) season as the top provincially sired two- and three-year-old pacers will compete in four $90,000 Super Finals on Saturday, Oct. 31 at Century Mile.
Two-year-old-male division leader Y V Michters will aim to be scary good once again on Halloween night after going undefeated through the ABSS preliminaries. The Rod Starkewski trainee won his division of the Rising Star in 1:57.2, the Lone Star in 1:54.4 and Shooting Star in 1:56, the latter a 6-3/4-length triumph on Oct. 17. Now four-for-seven — his other win coming in the $70,000 ASHA Pace final — the son of Captain Deo-Dime Hanover has a fourth straight win in his sights as he leaves from post seven with David Kelly set to drive.
Somewhat Tipsy has shone in the late stages of the Alberta stakes calendar, breaking his maiden in his split of the Lone Star in 1:55 before sweeping to a 5-1/2-length score in the fastest of three Shooting Star divisions in 1:54.3. The first foal of 2019 Super Final champion Mrs Suhwiggins has won twice in seven starts. Trainer Phil Giesbrecht will drive the Vertical Horizon colt from post four on Saturday.
Strait Up N Down (Mike Hennessy), also coming into the contest off back-to-back wins for trainer Kelly Hoerdt, has drawn between the other two Shooting Star division winners, in post six. The full field is below.
$90,000 ABSS Super Final Two-Year-Old Colt & Gelding Pace
Post - Horse - Listed Driver - Trainer
1. Cf Beat The Rain - Kelly Hoerdt - Kelly Hoerdt
2. Forbearance - Brandon Campbell - Brandon Campbell
3. Dungannigans - Nathan Sobey - Nathan Sobey
4. Somewhat Tipsy - Phil Giesbrecht - Phil Giesbrecht
5. Scouts Command - Doug McNair - Nathan Sobey
6. Strait Up N Down - Mike Hennessy - Kelly Hoerdt
7. Y V Michters - David Kelly - Rod Starkewski
8. Shark Edition - Logan Gillis - Rod Starkewski
Two-year-old pacing filly division leader Dixieland Delight has been no worse than second in seven outings with three wins, including her Stardust contest last out in 1:58.3. The Captain Deo-Miss Conduct filly took her career mark of 1:56.4 in her maiden victory in the Emerald Filly Pace, then held on by a head after setting a sharp tempo in the Starlet on Aug. 1. Harold Haining has listed Kelly Hoerdt to take the reins from post four on Saturday.
Captain Tahiti is on the upswing heading into the rookie filly final. She finished third in the first ABSS prelim and improved on that finishing spot in each of the next two legs, culminating in a 4-3/4-length romp in the Stardust on Oct. 17 in 1:56.3, the fastest clocking among three divisions. The Chris Lancaster-trained daughter of Captain Deo-Tahiti Seelster also won her Emerald Filly Pace division in July and is three-for-six overall. Phil Giesbrecht is listed to drive from the rail.
Somebody Save Me (PP7), with Ontario driver Doug McNair picking up the catch-drive for horseman Jamie Gray, aims to build off her maiden 1:59.1 win in the Stardust, and the Justin Currie trainee Miss Melanie (PP2, David Kelly) comes off a narrow miss in the last ABSS prelim, having won in 1:57 in the prior leg. The full field is below.
$90,000 ABSS Super Final Two-Year-Old Filly Pace
Post - Horse - Listed Driver - Trainer
1. Captain Tahiti - Phil Giesbrecht - Chris Lancaster
2. Miss Melanie - David Kelly - Justin Currie
3. Blue Star Shania - Mike Hennessy - Rod Hennessy
4. Dixieland Delight - Kelly Hoerdt - Harold Haining
5. Myartsdesire - Nathan Sobey - Nathan Sobey
6. Outlaw Risk N Hope - Logan Gillis - Connie Kolthammer
7. Somebody Save Me - Doug McNair - Jamie Gray
8. Sloppy Monster - Brandon Campbell - Rod Hennessy
The red-hot Terrible Custard is poised for her sixth win in her last seven starts as she departs from post four in the event for three-year-old fillies. The Rod Hennessy trainee has won her last three stakes final appearances — the Grade 3 Gord & Illa Rumpel Memorial in 1:54.2, the ABSS Alberta Marquis final in 1:55 and the ABSS Alberta Princess final in 1:54.3. Six-for-17 on the campaign and the divisional earnings leader, the daughter of Custard The Dragon-Remember Terror will have regular reinsman Mike Hennessy for company on Saturday.
Blue Star Strike has also had a strong stakes campaign. She won the ABSS Alberta Diamond final in 1:55.4 in July, finished second in the Shirley McClellan Breeders Stakes in June and was third by three-quarters of a length in the Alberta Princess final on Oct. 10. The daughter of Captive Audience-Lucky Lucka has tallied five wins in 13 starts overall and finished second in the ABSS earnings standings. Drew Campbell will steer the filly from post seven for trainer Chris Brown.
The field also includes 2025 Super Final champion B A Dragon (PP6), who seeks her first win of the season for trainer Jamie Gray and gets Doug McNair at the controls. The full field is below.
$90,000 ABSS Super Final Three-Year-Old Filly Pace
Post - Horse - Listed Driver - Trainer
1. Mystery Shooter - Nathan Sobey - Nathan Sobey
2. Chasing The Dragon - Brandon Campbell - Brandon Campbell
3. Blue Star Aspire - Jamie Gray - Jamie Gray
4. Terrible Custard - Mike Hennessy - Rod Hennessy
5. Lets Go Gals - Blake Piwniuk - Rebecca Kanak
6. B A Dragon - Doug McNair - Jamie Gray
7. Blue Star Strike - Drew Campbell - Chris Brown
8. Annie Young - Phil Giesbrecht - Gerry Hudon
9. Y V Four Roses - David Kelly - Rod Starkewski
A hard-fought sophomore male division comes to a head in the last final of the card. Boleto A Mexico, Outlaw Country On and Vladdy G each won an ABSS leg, and they will meet standings monarch Ruler Of Dragons, who finished second in all three and won the Moores Mile Breeders Stakes. The latter came flying from last down the stretch in the ABSS Alberta Plainsmen last out but ran out of racetrack, missing by two lengths in second to Boleto A Mexico. The Jamie Gray-trained son of Custard The Dragon-Lady Neigh Neigh is three-for-10 this season and has a mark of 1:53, earned in an ABSS Alberta Maverick elimination. Phil Giesbrecht will drive from post three.
Boleto A Mexico, another Jamie Gray entrant, is the most recent stakes winner of the group after his 1:55.2 tally in the Plainsmen to bring his 2026 record to four-for-13. The Captive Audience-Legs Like Tina colt will start from post five as Gray hands the lines to Doug McNair.
Vladdy G, winner of the ABSS Alberta Marksman in July as well as the Grade 3 Ralph Klein Memorial in a career-best 1:53.3 on Aug. 8, drew post seven for trainer/driver Logan Gillis. The son of Captive Audience-Alina has 10 top three finishes from 11 starts this year with four victories and sprinted home for third in the Plainsmen last out.
Outlaw Country On, who swooped from eighth to win the Maverick in 1:54.2 in August, sharpened with a 1:54.3 overnight win on Oct. 24 ahead of Saturday’s event. That effort followed a sixth-place finish in the Plainsman, just the second time the Captive Audience-Cams Jam colt missed a cheque in 19 starts this campaign. David Kelly is slated to drive as the Rod Starkewski trainee seeks his seventh victory of 2026 from post eight. The full field is below.
$90,000 ABSS Super Final Three-Year-Old Colt & Gelding Pace
Post - Horse - Listed Driver - Trainer
1. Y V Weller - Drew Campbell - Rod Starkewski
2. Mammas Faith - Terry Kaufman - Terry Kaufman
3. Ruler Of Dragons - Phil Giesbrecht - Jamie Gray
4. Mr Jeter - Kelly Hoerdt - Kelly Hoerdt
5. Boleto A Mexico - Doug McNair - Jamie Gray
6. Vegas Gangster - Mike Hennessy - Rod Hennessy
7. Vladdy G - Logan Gillis - Logan Gillis
8. Outlaw Country On - David Kelly - Rod Starkewski
9. Mayhem N Madness - Jamie Gray - Jamie Gray
The 13-race card also has two $15,000 ABSS Super Final Consolations and a $15,500 Preferred Handicap Pace. In the Preferred, Shark Week shoots for six straight wins after a 1:50 track-record performance last out. First-race post time is 6:35 p.m. (MDT).
To view Saturday’s harness racing entries, click one of the following links: Saturday Entries - Century Mile // Program Pages (courtesy TrackIT).
(Standardbred Canada; photo of Terrible Custard winning the Alberta Marquis final at Century Downs)