Shoot The Whiskey prevailed in the top class feature at Flamboro Downs on Thursday, Nov. 21 as part of a big night for driver Travis Cullen.
The second race of the evening at Flamboro featured a sextet of pacing mares in a $12,000 Preferred Pace, captured decisively by Cullen and Shoot The Whiskey in a time of 1:54. The 9-2 second choice made every call a winning one, confidently downing fractions of :28, :57.2 and 1:25.1 before pouring home in :28.4 for the win by nearly three length. Ima Doll (Travis Henry) couldn't muster a serious threat after a two-hole tow, staying for second with Settn A Precedent (Samuel Fillion) in the show spot.
A five-year-old Shadow Play mare from Arm In Arm, Shoot The Whiskey notched her 11th win of the 2024 campaign and 29th lifetime. Jodie Cullen trains Shoot The Whiskey, now a winner of nearly $350,000 in her 104-start career, for Travis Cullen, Paul Sanders of Surrey, B.C. and J J J Stables of Prince George, B.C. She returned $11.50 to her $2 win backers.
Travis Cullen finished the 10-race card with wins in half the dashes. Before winning the main event with Shoot The Whiskey, he enjoyed an appetizer in the first race courtesy of Meilleur Fromage (1:57; $9.80), made it a triple in the fifth thanks to Iceneedswhiskey (1:57.4; $3.40), came right back in the sixth with Betternotmachme (1:56.1; $2.40) and then ended his evening on a high note courtesy Blakesagent (1:57.2; $4.90).
The five-win night vaulted Cullen over an idle Scott Coulter into top spot on the 2024 dash win leaderboard among Flamboro drivers, with Cullen's 106 better than Coulter's 104.
Lifetime, Cullen carries 2,570 victories and more than $22 million in purse earnings into his Friday assignments. Sporting three straight seasons with more than $3 million in earnings, Cullen's five-win night also lifted him into fifth place among drivers on Canadian soil in 2024. His 267 wins edges fellow Thursday competitor at Flamboro, Samuel Fillion, by one. Garrett Rooney sits fourth with 272.
To view the full results from Flamboro's Thursday card of harness racing, click the following link: Thursday Results - Flamboro Downs.
(Standardbred Canada; photo of Shoot The Whiskey from a previous win)