BC Breeders Stake action continued Saturday night at Fraser Downs with a quartet of second leg divisions for sophomore pacers
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Camblazer won the first of two $15,000 Robert Murphy Breeders Stake divisions for three-year-old colt pacers, which was carded as a special non-wagering race. After winning his first leg division, the Camcracker-Squeaker Hanover colt overcame Post 7 tonight for the 1:53.3 triumph. Trainer/driver David Hudon sent his charge to the lead and he carved out panels of :27.3, :57.3 and 1:25.4 en route to a two-length score. Stop Calling (Kevin Anderson) and Cody Cobraski (Jeff Stone) came in second and third.
Bill Boden of Vancouver, B.C. owns and bred the gelding, who has compiled a record reading 8-3-1 in 14 starts this year with $84,127 gathered in purses. Camblazer’s ninth win lifetime pushed his earnings over the $100,000 mark.
Id Rather Be Lucky and driver Serge Masse kicked off the filly stakes in similar fashion. The Mary Murphy Breeders Stake leg one winner, who was sent postward as the 3-2 second choice, left from Post 4 and led the single-file field through intervals of :27.4, :58.1 and 1:27 before pulling away by four lengths to equal her mark of 1:56. Oral Fixation (Jim Marino) and Asifitsallluck (Mike Hennessy) finished second and third.
Rod Therres trains and co-owns the daughter of Righteous Hanover-Maxillas Memory with James Vinnell of Langley, B.C. The win was her fourth in 17 starts this year lifting her earnings to $61,352.
Nazko Finally matched Id Rather Be Lucky’s 1:56 clocking in the next filly split, but did so at odds of 17-1. The As Promised-Jans Desire filly got away fifth in the field, only beating out a distanced Pureform Aurora (Carl Sibiga), who broke stride early on. Nazko Finally watched as Real Suspicion (Kevin Anderson) and the favourite and first leg winner Legal Suspensory (Darren Howald) traded turns on the front through fractions of :28 and :59.2 before launching her attack. Hudon sent his charge first-up en route to the next station and hooked up with the leader at the three-quarters mark in 1:27.4. The pair battled down the lane, but Nazko Finally forged ahead using a :28.1 final quarter to win by one and a half lengths. Im The Reason (Ed Hensley) finished 11 lengths back in third.
Nazko Finally, who was third in the first leg, gave co-owner Bill Boden his second win on the card. Monica Hudon of Edmonton, Alta. also shares ownership of two-time winner in nine starts this year and $17,884.
The final colt division produced another repeat winner in Red Star Whippet. James Burke engineered the winning trip for the Storm Compensation-Bring A Smile gelding, who took a new mark of 1:54.2. Interstate Five (Ed Hensley) was the quickest off the gate with Segomo (Darren Howald) following and favourite Red Star Whippet gapped back in third through a :27 first quarter and :56.1 half. Red Star Whippet made his move heading to three-quarters in 1:25.2 and used a :29-second final quarter to glide home for the triumph. Garden Gate Ll (Gord Abbott) finished one and a quarter lengths behind in second and Segomo rounded out the top three.
Robert Merschback trains Red Star Whippet, a winner of two races in nine starts this year and $27,399, for Surrey’s Robert Murphy.
The top nine money earners will return for the $30,000 freshmen and $75,000 sophomore finals on BC Breeders Classic Day Wednesday, November 11.
In other action, Incredible Beauty, a three-year-old Art Major-Precious Bunny filly, extended her win streak to five and took a new mark of 1:54 in her 11th race conditioner for trainer/driver Keith Clark and owners Ceejay Stable of De Winton, Doris McDougall of Cochrane and Robert Jones of Slave Lake, Atla.
To view Saturday’s harness racing results, click here.