Two-year-old pacers Da Magician and Yoga Pants shared the stakes spotlight on Sunday, Nov. 20 at Fraser Downs, scoring victories in a pair of $50,000 events. Meanwhile, local horseman Ken Dorman celebrated a career milestone during the program.
The Dan Ingram Memorial for two-year-old colts and the Fraser Miss Stakes for fillies headlined the Sunday card, which was contested over a sloppy track.
Leaving from post three, Da Magician and trainer/owner Serge Masse emerged between horses for the lead off the gate and carved out fractions of :27.2, :58.4 and 1:27.3 before drawing off by five and a half lengths to score the Ingram victory in 1:55.4. Mateo (J.F. Gagne) followed in the pocket to place while Fanchastic (Scott Knight) rounded out the top three finishers after Millbanks Bart (Rod Therres) tired from his first-over journey.
Da Magician paid $6.20 to win as the 2-1 second choice to Bakardi Gold (Brandon Campbell), who broke stride in the first turn and finished a distant seventh. The Dragon Again-Hottie Hanover gelding earned his fifth career win and now boasts lifetime earnings of more than $65,000 from 12 starts. The stakes win kicked off a super day for Masse, who led all drivers on the 12-race card with four victories.
B.C. Breeders Stakes champion Yoga Pants charged off the gate from post seven and led the field of fillies through panels of :27.4, :59.2 and 1:28 en route to the two-length 1:58.1 victory in the Fraser Miss. Keys Please (Serge Masse) pulled the pocket down the backstretch and sustained her position until the late-closing 9-5 favourite Lil Beach (Rod Theres) collared her in a photo finish near the wire for the runner-up role.
Sent postward as the 2-1 second wagering favourite in her debut for the Justin Currie stable, Yoga Pants paid $6.60 to win. J J J Stables recently took over ownership of the Sportswriter-Lucks Pleasure filly, who is now five-for-six lifetime with earnings climbing over the $100,000 mark. The win completed a training triple on the Sunday program for Currie.
In other action, trainer Ken Dorman celebrated his 1,000th career victory when six-year-old gelding Broadies Dancer, driven by Paul Davies, held off his passing lane rivals, Mystic Ruler (John Chappell) and favourite Astronomical Storm (David Hudon) in 1:58 by half a length in the sixth race for $4,500 claimers.
The victory was the first of the year for the 78-year-old Surrey, B.C. horseman, who has trained winners of over $3 million lifetime. Broadies Dancer, a six-year-old son of No Pan Intended, is owned by Janice Wheeler.
Sterling Cooper rebounded from his neck loss in the Jim Vinnell eliminations last week to score his 13th win of the year in this week's $10,500 Open Pace for trainer/driver Brandon Campbell and owner Jeffrey Elchuk.
After a three-wide battle for the early lead, the 2-5 favourite crossed to command at the :26.2 quarter-pole and then cruised to the half in :56.4 and three-quarters in 1:25 on his way to the 1:54.2 triumph. Illwinifican (Dennis Johnston) couldn't catch the leader when he was launched out of the pocket at the top the stretch and finished one and a quarter lengths behind in second-place while Beren Hanover (Allan Molloy) followed back in third. Buddy Weiser (Rod Therres), who halted Sterling Cooper's win streak at seven winning the stakes elim, closed from the backfield to finish fifth this time out.
The $50,000 Vinnell final is scheduled for next Sunday, Nov. 27 at Fraser Downs.
To view Sunday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Sunday Results - Fraser Downs.