Jim Marino's stable continued its early dominance of the fall Fraser Downs meeting, accounting for three winners on the Wednesday night (Oct. 6) program.
Surprisingly, only one of Marino's three winners did so as the favourite. That was second-time starter Dragon Tale ($2.70), who rated soft fractions en route to a 2:03.3 win over Ifhecouldseemenow in a $6,000 event for maiden pacing fillies. Brandon Campbell drove the daughter of Custard The Dragon and Accentuate for Marino, who shares ownership with the J J J Stables and Paul Sanders.
Campbell and Marino teamed up to capture the evening's featured event, an $8,000 optional claiming distaff pace, with Hotpieceoface ($10.20), whom Marino owns with the Shale Stables. The five-year-old Big Jim mare strode to the early lead before fending off a sustained attack from 2-5 favourite Princess Marina to win by a head in 1:55.1, equalling her lifetime mark. It was her third win this season and the 13th of her career.
The tandem completed their hat trick with Shelley Eng's Oh Look At Me ($7.70), who, in a conditioned claiming pace, rallied from the pocket to upend 1-5 choice Critics Delight and fend off a late rally from runner-up Oscar P Coaltrain by a head in 1:58.
To view the complete results from Wednesday's nine-race card, click the following link: Wednesday Results – Fraser Downs.