The top Alberta-sired pacers of the 2014 season will invade Alberta Downs on Saturday afternoon as the Lacombe track plays host to the $280,000 Battle of Alberta Super Finals.
The four $70,000 Alberta Sires Stakes championships will be contested as races eight through 11 with $15,000 consolations for each division earlier in the day.
Two-year-old fillies will face off in the first Battle and the Jamie Gray-trained and driven My Villas On Fire is favoured to take the crown with morning line odds of 5-2 from post six. The Blue Burner-My Villa filly has won half of her 10 starts, including back-to-back ABSS Starburst and Stardust divisions in September, and has earned $39,090 in purses. One of the fastest fillies in the field, My Villas On Fire enters the Super Finals fresh off a career-best 1:56.4 victory in the Premiers Stakes last Saturday. My Villas On Fire is owned by breeder Diane Bertrand and Robert Gilhespy, both of Edmonton, Alta.
Urcutoff is the morning line favourite in the next Super Final for two-year-old colts and geldings with Brandon Campbell listed to drive for owner Mark Anderson of Willows, California. The Brandons Cowboy-Wendy Jo Hanover gelding has never missed the board in seven starts while earning five wins and $38,852 in purses. He is the fastest in the division courtesy of his 1:54.3 career debut at Running Aces and has earned victories in the first two ABSS Rising Star and Lonestar legs. He was also a winner in last weekend's Premiers Stakes. Darryl Cutting trains Urcutoff, who has drawn post four, in addition to post two starter Pablos First.
Campbell will also drive the early favourite in the three-year-old filly Super Final, Nighttraintovegas. The homebred daughter of Camystic out of Midnight In Vegas will leave from post five as she looks to improve on her show placing in last year's championship. Nighttraintovegas is six-for-13 this year and has earned $81,311 to boost her career bankroll to $141,825, making her the richest starter in the field. She boasts victories in two ABSS finals this season, including a career-best 1:54.4 score in the last Marquis event on Oct. 18 for trainer Richard F. Schneider and owners Dick W. Schneider of Sherwood Park, Alta. and Edmonton's David Halmosi.
Defending Super Final champion Blue Eyed Cowboy will start from post five as the morning line choice in the three-year-old colts and geldings championship with Bill Tainsh Jr. listed to drive for trainer/owner Rod Starkewski of Lamont, Alta. The Brandons Cowboy-Eicarls Blue Eyes gelding, who won the ABSS Marksman Final on Aug. 24, has compiled a 6-3-2 record in 16 starts while earning $71,288 in purses. He is both the richest male pacer heading into the Super Final, with a total bankroll of $136,286, and the fastest, courtesy of his a 1:52 lifetime-best effort in the ASHA Stakes in mid-September.
First race post time for Saturday's 12-race card is 1:15 p.m.
Click here for free, printable program pages for Saturday's harness racing card, courtesy TrackIT.
To view Saturday's harness racing entries, click on the following link: Saturday Entries - Alberta Downs.