A quartet of rich stakes events were contested on Thursday at Fraser Downs, as sophomore pacers battled in the finals of the Mary Murphy Breeders Stake and the Robert Murphy Memorial Breeders Stake while the rookies went head-to-head in the BC Breeders Stakes
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Mystic Maiden made it a clean sweep in the $75,000 Mary Murphy Breeders Stake for three-year-old fillies thanks to her 1:53.2 triumph for driver Dave Hudon and trainer Justin Currie. The victory, which was the filly’s twelfth consecutive tally, came in gate-to-wire fashion. She led through fractions of :27.2, :56.1 and 1:24.1 before scooting home in :29.1 for the six-length decision over Garden Gate Storm. Third prize went to Zeballos.
Sent off as the 1-5 favourite in the nine-filly affair, Mystic Maiden improved her lifetime record to 19-for-20 with the win. She is 14-for-15 this season for the partnership of Barry MacFarlane of Powell River and Crimson Racing Stable of Langley, BC. The lion’s share of the purse lifted her lifetime earnings to $116,250.
Nobody Can was treated to a pocket trip in the $75,000 Robert Murphy Memorial Breeders Stake for three-year-old colts and geldings, and the son of Kents On Nuke-Battalia Hanover didn’t let it go to waste en route to his sweep of the event. Jim Marino popped the Ed Hensley-trained gelding to the outside in deep stretch, and the pacer held on to win by a neck over a hard-closing Kootenay Mike in 1:54.3. Dontmakemebeg rounded out the top three finishers.
Sent off as the 3-5 favourite, Nobody Can improved his 2010 record to 7-4-0 in 14 starts with the win. The 11-time winner is owned in partnership by J J J Stables of Aldergrove, BC and Alan Anderson of Willows, CA. The win boosted his career cash stash to $173,701.
In the $40,000 BC Breeders Stake for two-year-old fillies one race earlier on the card it was Nobody Can’s full-sister, Just Fiction, going wire-to-wire in a time of 1:57.1 for trainer/driver Ed Hensley. The daughter of Kents On Nuke-Battalia Hanover supplied speed splits of :28, :58.1 and 1:27 before stepping home in :30.1 to win by a neck over Cristina Lake. Bianca was a lapped-on third.
The betting public made the J J J Stables and Alan Anderson’s filly the 2-5 choice, and she didn’t disappoint en route to improving her record to a perfect 6-for-6 while bumping her earnings to $49,400.
Branding Party was the only upset winner among the stakes winners, as he clicked for a 7-1 mild surprise in the $40,000 BC Breeders Stake for two-year-old colts and geldings. The son of Brandons Cowboy-Witskey rallied from just off the pace to win by a neck over race favourite Gramrun Jake in 1:57.1. Midnite In LA rounded out the top three finishers.
Jim Marino mapped out the winning trip for the Paul Urquhart-trained gelding, who is owned by Simone Urquhart of Surrey, BC. The victory improved the pacer’s record to 2-4-2 in 10 trips postward, and the lion’s share of the purse increased his bankroll to $38,452.
To view Thursday’s results, click here.