Jim Marino trainee If Only Id Known reeled in her stablemate Custard Smoothie off stiff fractions to grab the lead and hold off even-money favourite Crush Me to win the $30,000 Sale Stakes for three-year-old pacing fillies on Wednesday (Nov. 24) at Fraser Downs.
Custard Smoothie kicked off the wings from post seven to lead the field to a :26.2 first quarter. If Only Id Known settled into fourth passing the stands first time and waited until after a :56 half to vacate the cones.
If Only Id Known lunged to the lead up the backside with Crush Me following suit into second while Custard Smoothie began to falter. By three-quarters in 1:25.1, If Only Id Known maintained command as Crush Me readied to pounce from the pocket, but off the turn the Shadow Play filly had enough in reserve to win by 1-1/4 lengths in 1:54.4. Sea Breezes rallied to take third with L Ds Contessa finishing fourth.
Co-owned by Marino with J J J Stables, If Only Id Known won her fourth race from 16 starts this season and her seventh from 21 overall, pushing her earnings to $79,212. Brandon Campbell drove the $4.10 winner.
Memum Knowsnothing sat patiently as the 1-5 favourite before launching a first-over move to grab a narrow victory in the first of two $17,500 divisions for the Fraser Miss Open Final.
The Custard The Dragon filly sat fourth while the field raced in post-position order through opening splits of :30 and 1:00.1. Hazels Wildling, the pacesetter, braced for Memum Knowsnothing in the backside as the tempo quickened with the favourite’s move to click three-quarters in 1:28.2. Memum Knowsnothing gained a slight lead to the final turn but lost it rounding the bend before spinning for home and surging again for the front to land a head in front at the finish of a 1:58 mile. Angelsonthehorizon finished third and River Boat Rosie took fourth.
Trained by Rick White for himself, Janet White and Wayne Foster, Memum Knowsnothing won her fifth race from eight starts, pushing her earnings to $70,541. Glenn White drove the $2.40 winner.
Shoot The Whiskey delivered as the 3-5 favourite in the other division of the Fraser Miss Open Final, launching off cover to win by a measured half length in 1:57.
Driver Brandon Campbell floated Shoot The Whiskey into fourth as Tin Foil Hat fired for the front to a :28 first quarter and slowed the tempo to a :58.1 half. Shes Bodacious pulled first over into the backside with Shoot The Whiskey anxiously catching her cover and remaining on a helmet to three-quarters in 1:27.2. Campbell kicked the Jim Marino trainee off cover around the final turn and, with ease, recouped five lengths through the straightaway to down Tin Foil Hat at the beam with Shes Bodacious another two lengths behind in third and Roseange finishing fourth.
Owned by J J J Stables and Jim Marino, Shoot The Whiskey won her fourth race from eight starts, pushing her earnings to $33,500. She paid $3.50 to win.
Glimpseofgoodness grabbed the racetrack late off swift splits to win the $10,000 Fillies & Mares Open Pace — for horses nominated to the Lady Dogwood — in 1:53.3.
Mrs Suhwiggins, sent the 8-5 favourite, sped for the front while pressed by Rockin Mystery around the first turn and emerged in control through a :26 first quarter. The field raced single file with the first three separated by open lengths from the back three to a :54.4 half.
The tempo remained hot up the backside, though Mrs Suhwiggins began to grow leg weary. Driver John Abbott hustled Glimpseofgoodness out of fifth and blitzed the pacesetter past three-quarters in 1:23.3. Mrs Suhwiggins held her ground until the top of the stretch when the backfield enveloped her, led by Glimpseofgoodness as she kept Moosette at bay at the beam with Hottieonthehorizon rallying for third.
Winning her seventh race from 24 starts this season and her 20th from 100 overall, Glimpseofgoodness has earned $141,353. Gordon Abbott trains the six-year-old Test Flight mare for owners Nate Sobey and Paul Davies. She paid $9.70 to win.
On the 10-race card, driver Brandon Campbell made five visits to the winner's circle. Alongside his stakes victories in the middle of the card, Campbell won bookended the card with a win in the opener by Lock The Flow ($16.40) and in the finale with Stylomilohos ($4.90). He also won with Ima Momas Boy ($7.30) to complete a natural hat trick off his stakes wins.
To view Wednesday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Wednesday Results - Fraser Downs.