Driver Tim Brown pulled off a sweep of the sophomore stakes events featured on BC Breeders Classic Day 2011 on Remembrance Day Friday at Fraser Downs
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British Columbia’s best two and three-year-old pacers faced off over a 'good' track in the four rich finals featuring $230,000 in purses. Brown won both $75,000 Robert and Mary Murphy Breeders Stakes with sophomores bred by the late Robert Murphy, Red Star Hannah and Gramrun Jake.
Some time off between the first preliminary round and the three-year-old pacing filly final was just what Red Star Hannah needed.
Leaving from Post 4, Red Star Hannah and Brown took control of the field and led the way past panels of :28.1, :57.1 and 1:25.3 en route to the eight and three-quarter length victory in 1:55.3. Imherefortheparty (Serge Masse), winner of both preliminary legs, advanced first up from third but made a costly break in stride. Oil Town Amelia (Scott Zeron) and Anjelles Aura (Scott Knight) were interfered with by Imherefortheparty as they were forced wide around the breaker, but they managed to come on for second and third. Since both horses out-finished Imherefortheparty’s entrymate, fourth-placer finisher Tahuya Sonia (John Abbott), there were no changes to the order of finish by the judges.
“I saw [Imherfortheparty’s] head outside of me and I took off up the backside,” said Brown following the wire-to-wire win. “I don’t know what happened after that. I just knew there was nobody in front of me and I wanted to keep it that way.
“It’s never a Sunday stroll out here, that’s for sure. I give a lot of credit to my wife, Sandra, who looks after this horse and of course trainer Ray Gemmill. They make my job easy.”
Red Star Hannah was a bridesmaid in her previous two starts -- the BC Sales Stakes Final on Oct. 22 and the first preliminary leg of the Mary Murphy Breeders Stake on Oct. 29. The decision to skip the second leg to freshen up for today’s finale appeared to pay off.
“She certainly did [come to play today]," said Brown. "She has a little trouble on the turns so we gave her a week off and missed the second elimination. She came in fresh and strong today and we drew right and things just worked out.”
Red Star Hannah earned her fourth win in 11 starts this year while more than doubling her seasonal earnings to $67,983. The daughter of As Promised-Red Star Allie, who is 10-for-22 in her career with $88,683 earned, is owned by Western Pacific Stable and Ian Moyes of Surrey, B.C., and Steve Shand of Port Coquitlam, B.C. She paid $10.90 to win for the mild 9-2 upset.
Gramrun Jake pushed his win streak to five while completing his second stakes sweep in the $75,000 Robert Murphy Breeders Stake for three-year-old pacing colts.
Red Star Tyson (Grant Hollingsworth) won an early tussle for the lead from Post 6 and put up a speedy :27.4 first quarter and half in :57.3.
Limit The Risk (Jim Marino) advanced first over from fourth and cleared to command down the backstretch, but his lead was short-lived as Post 9 starter Gramrun Jake and Brown followed his move from fifth and took over the top spot at the 1:27 third quarter mark.
Gramrun Jake quickly opened up five lengths on his foes as they raced into the stretch and cruised to victory in 1:56.4. His final margin was three and three-quarter lengths. Cantbeatacheetah (Dave Hudon) came on for second while early trailer Stepuptotheplate (Scott Zeron) inherited third after a judges' placing. Boom Shazam (David McKellar) was third-placed-sixth after causing interference to Crown Isle (Mike Short) near the third quarter mark.
"That's not really the trip I've given this colt in his last few starts -- he's been on the front end -- but from the nine-hole I had no choice. I actually had to think today driving," said Brown. "But he responded well. We got the second over trip down the backside facing a big head wind so Jim cut the wind for me a little bit and when I asked my colt to get into gear he certainly did. It's such a pleasure to drive a colt like this."
Gramrun Jake paid $3.20 to win as the 3-5 favourite. The son of Camcracker-Roxette Hanover is trained and owned by Dan Ingram of Langley, B.C. Gramrun Jake, who won his elimination and final of the BC Sales Stake prior to sweep the three leg Robert Murphy Breeders Stake, recorded his seventh win in 17 starts this year while pushing his 2011 earnings to $73,278. The winner of nine races from 24 career starts now boasts a lifetime bankroll of more than $100,000.
Rick White trainees Gotta Have Nukes and Thieving Magpie were both looking for a series sweep in the $40,000 BC Breeders Stake for two-year-old pacing colts earlier on the card, but it was Gotta Have Nukes who prevailed at the wire over his quick-closing stablemate.
Driver Rick White sent Gotta Have Nukes straight to the lead from Post 5 and the bay gelding led the way through an opening quarter in :29.2 with Red Star Cameron (Andrew Arsenault) following in second and Serenity Sam (Serge Masse) in third. As the field moved in front of the grandstand for the first time, Thieving Magpie (Darren Howald) improved one position, moving out and around Serenity Sam into third.
From there Serenity Sam angled off the pylons and he advanced first up as they approached the half in :59. Serenity Sam applied pressure to the leader down the backstretch, but Gotta Have Nukes turned back that challenger before the 1:28.2 third quarter mark.
Thieving Magpie made his move as they rounded the final turn and came charging after his stablemate down the stretch. However, Gotta Have Nukes found the wire just in time to score the 1:58.3 triumph by a head. Red Star Cameron finished third and Procrastinatinpeat (Dave Hudon Jr.) was fourth while Hector Protector (Glenn White), the third White trainee in the race, finished fifth in a dead-heat with Thunder Noise (James Burke).
White also owns and bred the son of Kents On Nukes and Samantha Square with June Kauffman of Woodinville, Washington. The win was his fourth (consecutive) in five career starts and pushed his earnings to $30,786. He paid $2.40 to win as the part of the popular three-horse entry.
Cheyenne J had her main rival, Slow And Easy, right on her back in the matching final of the Betty Millbank Memorial Breeders Stake for two-year-old pacing fillies, but she managed to pull off the sweep with a wire-to-wire romp in the $40,000 event.
Cheyenne J and trainer-driver Dave Hudon established the lead from the inside post position and carved out fractions of :29, :58.2 and 1:28.3 with Slow And Easy (Kevin Anderson) sitting in the pocket. The top two took off from the rest of the field around the final turn.
Slow And Easy, the B.C. Sires Stakes winner and runner-up to Cheyenne J in the preliminary rounds of the B.C. Breeders Stakes, pulled the pocket in the stretch but couldn’t catch the leading lady. Cheyenne J prevailed by one and a quarter lengths in 1:59.2. Te Anau (Don Monkman Jr.) finished nine and a half lengths back in third despite being parked out and landing a spot at the rail near the back of the pack early on.
The Youdontknowjack-Carson Jane filly boosted her bankroll to $38,454 for owner-breeder Bill Boden of Vancouver, B.C. She paid $3.10 to win for the third (consecutive) time in five career starts.
Making his B.C. driving debut during the B.C. Breeders Day card was the Ontario-based Scott Zeron, who won four races including the weekly $12,500 Open Pace with the Rod Therres-trained and driven Primary Purpose in 1:55.4. Pocket-sitter Trust The Artist (Scott Knight) finished one length behind in second while 46-1 longshot At Last (Kevin Anderson) was third.
At the invitation of local trainer Rick Lancaster, Zeron travelled to B.C. for this year’s BC Breeders Classic Day and donated his purse earnings from the day to the Royal Canadian Legion. Zeron also won with the Lancaster-trained Red Hot Ritz and Alverna, along with Western Nitro for trainer David McKellar. His four wins helped push his seasonal earnings over the $7 million mark.
To view Friday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Friday Results - Fraser Downs.
If you want to know why Tim
If you want to know why Tim Brown won the two $75,000.00 stakes at Fraser Downs, all one needs to do is look at that weathered face that is caked in mud. (track good.) Many years of driving for smaller purses than here at Woodbine will do that to you.
I came away thinking that there were many winners Friday night--Tim Brown and wife (who is caretaker to his horses), and the legions of people who will share a better Christmas due to Scott Zeron leaving his purse money to be given out the day Santa drops down the chimney.
The Zeron family come through again!!!. Same old story--Rick Zeron, who is injured, loads the rifle, and hands it to son Scott, who gladly pulls the trigger.