Fraser Downs hosted pacing freshmen on Wednesday night (Oct. 5) in two $15,000 divisions of the Robert Millbank Memorial second preliminary, for colts and geldings, and in a single $20,000 split of the Betty Millbank Memorial second preliminary, for fillies.
Mickie Mantle (pictured above) landed a repeat victory in the first division of the Robert Millbank Memorial, this time winning one day after New York Yankee Aaron Judge broke the American League record for single-season homeruns. Driver Kelly Hoerdt sat third with Mickie Mantle through a :29 first quarter and 1:00 half before launching after pacesetter Dillon James to three-quarters in 1:28.3. Pressuring the leader to the final turn, Mickie Mantle overpowered Dillon James in the lane to win by 1-1/4 lengths in 1:57.1 with Rum N Raisins another four lengths behind in third and More Monet another seven lengths back in fourth.
Chris Lancaster conditions Mickie Mantle for owner Fred Gilbert and Kelly Hoerdt. The son of Custard The Dragon won his second race from five starts and has now banked $23,098. He paid $2.30 to win.
The other Robert Millbank division went the way of front-stepping Son Of A Beach, who held off his stablemate to score a narrow win in 1:57.4. The colt by Sunshine Beach took the front to a :28.3 first quarter and cruised to a :59.4 half before barn buddy and even-money favourite Domi came calling first over to three-quarters in 1:28.3. Domi continued to dig into Son Of A Beach spinning for home, but the pacesetter held firm to the finish to win by a neck with Speakdollarsncents finishing third off a pocket ride and Shots Fired taking fourth.
Son Of A Beach won his second race from four starts and has now earned $13,080. John Abbott drove the Rod Therres trainee owned by Wild Dunes Stables. He paid $12.90 to win.
Therres then took the single division of the Betty Millbank Memorial with a pocket-pouncing victory by Custard Or Nothing in 1:57.2. Stalking leader Snowpeak through early fractions of :28.3 and :59.1, Custard Or Nothing vacated the cones to three-quarters in 1:28.3 and battled with Snowpeak all through the stretch to edge three-quarter lengths in front at the beam while Westcoast Captive closed to finish third and Side Piece took fourth.
Custard Or Nothing competes for Rod Therres, who drove and co-owns the filly with Blair Miller, Dairen Edward and Veikko Pajunen. She won her third race from four starts, has now earned $23,520 and paid $3.10 to win.
In the co-featured $10,000 Open Pace, the six-year-old Captaintreacherous gelding Armycaptin Hanover collected his 29th victory from 98 tries with a 1:52.2 victory. Trainer-driver Kelly Hoerdt, who co-owns the winner with Blair Corbeil, raced third as Jewels Dragon set a tempo of :26.4 and :56.3 before making his move. Pushing up the rim through three-quarters in 1:24.3, Armycaptin Hanover persisted into the straightaway and slid a half-length better than Jewels Dragon to the finish while Mach Steady gave pursuit from the pocket in third. Armycaptin Hanover, sent off as the odds-on favourite, paid $2.90 to win.
To view Wednesday's harness racing results, click the following link: Wednesday Results - Fraser Downs.