Outlaw Game On and Outlaw Sharktastic prevailed in their respective Preferred assignments featured at Century Mile on Friday, Oct. 2.
With fellow Rod Hennessy stable star Shark Week not entered in the $15,000 Preferred this week, Outlaw Game On got his chance to shine on Friday night.
Driven by Mike Hennessy, Outlaw Game On protected his pylon position with a :26.4 opening panel then stole a second-quarter breather to the half in :55 with the field of six following in single-file alignment. Outlaw Game On accelerated to three-quarters in 1:23.1 as One Major Hottie (Phil Giesbrecht) was flushed out from third with an oncoming Hands Off Harry (Nathan Sobey) getting the cover in the final turn. Outlaw Game On kept One Major Hottie at bay down the stretch with Hands Off Harry rallying three-wide in the late stages to make it into the win photo but ultimately coming up just short as the favourite delivered in 1:52.3. Hands Off Harry settled for second, a quarter-length back, with One Major Hottie in third between.
Following back-to-back second-place finishes last month to Shark Week in the Lacombe Cup and the Century Mile opening weekend Preferred, Outlaw Game On was the 1-2 bettors' choice and paid $3.10 to win.
The five-year-old Smart Shark-Sobia Hanover gelding has hit the board in 19 of his 23 starts this year. He's won six of those races, bringing his win count to 15 lifetime and earnings just shy of $175,000 for Rod Hennessy and partners Lorne Duffield of Edmonton, Alta., Five C Stable of Cranbrook, B.C., and Jason Clouston of Okotoks, Alta.
Outlaw Sharktastic denied Poker Queen a repeat victory in the $15,500 Fillies & Mares Preferred Pace at the Century Mile meet as she split rivals and out-sprinted the 2-1 favourite in the stretch for trainer/driver Nathan Sobey.
After sitting fourth through opening panels of :27.2 and :56.4, Outlaw Sharktastic tracked the cover of Poker Queen (Phil Giesbrecht) in the outer flow as the favoured outside assignee started to advance from the back of the field of seven. Meanwhile, Outlawguns N Roses (David Kelly) took it to the front-striding Georgia Hanover as they raced by three-quarters in 1:24.2 and gained a short lead in the stretch while pocket-sitter Byby Baby Byby (Mike Hennessy) joined the fight at the inside. Poker Queen rallied on the far outside into contention but Outlaw Sharktastic found a clear path between foes and powered up to score by a quarter-length in 1:53.4, with her final quarter clocked in :28.4. Poker Queen edged out second choice Byby Baby Byby in the place photo.
Outlaw Sharktastic returned $8.70 to win as the 3-1 third choice. She's a back-to-back winner at the Century Mile meet after taking her opening night assignment a week ago and rejoining the Mares Preferred class with success.
The eight-year-old daughter of Smart Shark out of Outlaw Alleyesonme now has three wins this year in 22 starts and 21 victories lifetime with earnings over $280,000. The Alberta-owned mare competes for Sobey Racing of Sturgeon County, Glenda Winkleman of Edmonton and Calgary's Glenn Pinel.
To view Friday's harness racing results, click the following link: Friday Results - Century Mile.
(Standardbred Canada; photo of Outlaw Game On from a previous win at Century Downs)