The opening round of the Fraser Miss for two-year-old pacing fillies highlighted the Sunday (Nov. 25) program of racing at Fraser Downs, and it was The Blue Yak ($2.30) and Village Joules ($4.40) that got the job done in their respective $25,000 divisions.
In the second of the splits (Race 3), the John Hudon-trained and Serge Masse-driven The Blue Yak ($2.30) continued her Fraser Downs dominance. The bay daughter of Big Jim was sent postward as the public’s odds-on choice for her fourth consecutive start, and for her fourth consecutive start she paced to a gate-to-wire win.
After having raced overland to the quarter pole, The Blue Yak, who started from Post 3, clicked off the speed in :27.1, :58 and 1:27 before romping home with a seven-length, 1:56 victory.
Play Like Shirley (Richard Remillard) closed from fifth and finished second. After a garden trip through the fractions, the Rod Therres-driven Ocean Wind finished third.
After a third-place effort in her career pari-mutuel debut, The Blue Yak has now won six consecutive races and has banked more than $93,000 in purses for Hudon, of Surrey, B.C., who owns and also bred the filly.
The Rod Therres-trained, driven and co-owned Village Joules was much the best in the opening split (Race 2). The bay daughter of Bettors Delight left from Post 5, cut all the fractions (:27.2, :57.4, 1:27.1) and went on to record a one-length victory in 1:56.2.
Mrs Suhwiggins (who was driven by Jim Marino) finished second off of a pocket trip. Tought It Out just ran out of real estate for driver John Chapell and finished third, one and a quarter lengths back of Village Joules.
Village Joules is owned by Rod Therres, Carol Leeson and Blair Miller, all of Langley, B.C.
Da Magician dashed uncovered heading to the half and dug into pacesetter and odds-on favourite Illwinifican to take the $12,000 Open Pace by a head in 1:54.3.
Owner-trainer-driver Serge Masse placed the four-year-old Dragon Again gelding seventh as Illwinifican inherited the lead from the rail prior to a :28.1 opening quarter. Masse then tipped from seventh, nine lengths from the top, and ground towards the leader to sit wide in third through a :58.4 half.
Illwinifican continued to park Da Magician into the backstretch but his lead narrowed to a head passing a 1:26.2 third quarter. Opening the margin a touch around the final turn, Illwinifican eventually gave way to Da Magician in the stretch as the two matched strides to the wire with Da Magician taking an advantage late. Life On Homicide, off a pocket trip, surged to finish within a neck of the winner in third.
Winning his 10th race in 19 starts this season and his 23rd from 47 starts, Da Magician, amassing $298,849 in earnings, paid $8.30 to win.
To view the harness racing results for Sunday at Fraser, click the following link: Sunday Results – Fraser Downs.