Fraser Downs offered the B.C. Breeders Stakes as the main course on the menu for Thursday (Oct. 5) evening and Over Ice, Wannabeabigstar and Buddy Knocks each doubled up in their stakes series triumphs.
Over Ice romped in the $20,000 second leg of the Betty Millbank Memorial Stakes for two-year-old fillies.
With every panel, the Jim Marino trainee and Brandon Campbell distanced themselves from the pack. After fractions timed in :27.3, :58.4 and 1:27.1, Over Ice achieved victory in 1:55.2 by 5-1/4 lengths. Great Emotion (David Hudon) finished second and Vintage Lass (Kelly Hoerdt) was third.
Over Ice shows ones across the board as she has prevailed from gate-to-wire in all four of her career on-track appearances, including three for purse money totalling $20,500 in earnings. She earned a new lifetime mark for owner J J J Stables. The daughter of Custard The Dragon and the American Ideal mare Arm In Arm paid $2.20 to win.
Wannabeabigstar capped off the stakes action for the evening with a determined effort for the win in race eight, the second $15,000 division of the Robert Millbank Memorial Stakes. Campbell and Marino teamed up again to produce the winner.
From post eight, Wannabeabigstar got away fifth on the outside as favoured Nothing Bugs Me (Therres) shook out a first panel in :27. Wannabeabigstar found an opening and slid into fifth along the pylons, eight lengths off the pacesetting Nothing Bugs Me at the half in :56.2. Before the three-quarters in 1:24.4, Campbell and Wannabeabigstar were out and on the move again, first-over. The pair landed in third as the third panel was clicked by Nothing Bugs Me. Into the stretch, Therres and his trainee maintained their lead, but Wannabeabigstar posted a last panel in a :28.2 sprint to assume control and win by a half length in 1:54. Nothing Bugs Me ended in second while Key Dragon (Knight) rounded out the top three.
Marino co-owns the freshman Shadow Play-Greek Beach gelding with J J J Stables and Paul Sanders. He earned his second stakes win and his second win in three starts, for $16,500 in career earnings. He paid $5.60 to win as the 2-1 second choice on the board.
Buddy Knocks moved his career record to three-for-three with a double sweep of the first two legs of the Robert Millbank Memorial Breeders Stakes for two-year-old colts and geldings.
Phone Nine One One (Brandon Campbell) was the pacesetter for the first division of the $15,000 B.C. Stakes division for the young men and posted panels in :27.2, :58.1 and 1:27. Throughout the mile, Buddy Knocks (Scott Knight) kept his focus on the leader as he followed in the pocket trip. Knight and the Rod Therres trainee met his opponent on even terms in the stretch and passed by to win by three-quarters of a length in 1:55. Phone Nine One One took second and Iknowbetter (Kelly Hoerdt) grabbed third.
Buddy Knocks moved his career earnings to $18,000 from his perfect record for owner Veikko Pajunen. The mile was a career-best time for the two-year-old gelded son of Betterthancheddar and the Sportswriter mare Yoga Pants. He paid $4.40 to win.
Therres posted a training hat trick on the card. He drove his own trainee Is He Watching ($2.90) to victory by a neck in 1:59.1 and Knight took Buddyville ($4.70) to a 1:56.2 victory by a nose.
To view Thursday's harness racing results, click the following link: Thursday Results - Fraser Downs.