Imashipwreck and Samba Beat, two former Alberta Sires Stakes champions, both dropped and popped with victories in the $7,800 optional-claiming feature paces on Wednesday, Oct. 7 at Century Mile.
Imashipwreck tallied her second win of the year with a lifetime-best-tying victory in the filly-and-mare event. Drew Campbell tucked her in behind rail starter Arrhythmic Dream (Mike Hennessy) and allowed that favoured rival to set the tempo through :28.1, :56.1 and 1:23.2 fractions. Imashipwreck then came out at headstretch and crossed swords with the leader through the lane, edging clear late for a three-quarter-length score in 1:53.2. Red N Ready (Blaine Chappell) hounded them home for third.
The winning four-year-old daughter of Captain Deo-Rollin Deep is two-for-21 this year after her Alberta Sires Stakes Super Final-winning campaign in 2025. She had a brief stint in Ontario in the winter but has raced in Alberta since May. Imashipwreck is trained by Jacques Lambert, who co-owns the mare with Jim Wilson of Regina, Sask. She is seven-for-51 lifetime with $163,092 in bankroll. The mare paid $11.50 to win.
Samba Beat returned from an 11-week absence to score his first win since November 2024 in the other co-feature. The eight-year-old stallion secured the front with a sharp start from post one for Phil Giesbrecht, completed the early panels in :29.1 and :58.1 and blitzed the third split to reach three-quarters in 1:25.1 with a three-length cushion. Vinny N The Iceman (Logan Gillis) rolled up late, but Samba Beat was home and dry in a one-length victory in 1:54.2. Alien Art Form (Ryan Grundy) completed the top three.
The Gerry Hudon-trained Samba Beat, a 2021 Alberta Sires Stakes Super Final champion, scored his first win in 13 seasonal outings and improved to 23-for-124 lifetime. The son of Santanna Blue Chip-Shes Machs Delight has now earned $301,061 for owners Gerry and Monica Hudon of Sturgeon County, Alta. and William Andrew of Calgary, Alta. The win price was $4.20.
To view Wednesday’s harness racing results, click the following link: Wednesday Results - Century Mile.
(Standardbred Canada; photo of Samba Beat winning on June 22, 2024)