A pair of Preferred events for fillies and mares headlined Friday night's harness action at Century Mile with Stash The Cookies and Gold Onthehorizon topping their respective distaff divisions.
Leaving from the rail in a field scratched down to four for the $14,000 Fillies & Mares Preferred, Stash The Cookies (pictured above) and driver Brandon Campbell fired to the front off the gate and led the top distaffers all the way, setting fractions of :27.3, :56.1 and 1:24.4 to three-quarters. As the 1-5 favourite was gaining some separation on her rivals, Outlaw Sharktastic (Nathan Sobey) launched an attack from third off the turn, but came up a head short as Stash The Cookies prevailed in 1:53.4 for trainer John Chappell. Sunshineatthebeach (Jamie Gray) closed from the back of the short field down the stretch on the far outside to nab third prize while pocket-sitter Past Affair (Dave Kelly) completed the order of finish.
Stash The Cookies earned her seventh win of the season from 22 starts for owner Derek Gilbert. The seven-year-old Sunfire Blue Chip-Saucy B mare went over the $300,000 earnings mark while collecting the lion's share of the purse in her 29th career victory. She paid $2.40 to win.
In the $11,000 Mares Preferred 2 class, Gold Onthehorizon and trainer/driver Phil Giesbrecht followed the 3-2 favourite, Goodbye Ceia Later (Mike Hennessy), through fractions of :27.3, :56.3 and 1:26.4 as the outer flow began to form heading to the final turn. As the field of five mares turned for home, Gold Onthehorizon popped the pocket and said 'goodbye see ya later' to the popular pacesetter as she blew by and held 1-1/2 lengths clear of the closing Electric Amadeus (Thomas Miller) at the end of the 1:55.1 mile, equalling her lifetime mark. Bearcat Abigail (Brandon Campbell) rallied for third over Goodbye Ceia Later.
Giesbrecht, who drove four Friday night winners, shares ownership of Gold Onthehorizon with Annabelle Pirie. The five-year-old Vertical Horizon-Rollin Deep mare has earned four wins this year in 28 starts. A 14-time winner lifetime, she has banked $86,609 in purses. Sent off at odds of 7-2, Gold Onthehorizon paid $9.50 to win.
Friday night's program kicked off with a maiden-breaking win for both three-year-old pacing filly Run And Buck and her trainer, Rebecca Kanak. Mike Hennessy worked out a perfect pocket trip in rein to Run And Buck, who won her second career start in 1:57.4 by two lengths over favourite Y V Larceny. Kanak trains and co-owns the Domitian Hanover-Toomuchfunwithu filly with Trevor Williams. The 24-year-old Saskatoon, Sask. horsewoman celebrated her first career training win from just five starts.
To view Friday's harness racing results, click the following link: Friday Results - Century Mile.