Mickie Mantle collected his second B.C. Breeders Stakes title while Red N Ready upset defending filly champion Side Piece in a pair of $100,000 finals for three-year-old pacers co-featured at Fraser Downs on Friday night, Nov. 24.
Mickie Mantle delivered on his pari-mutuel promise as he held off a pair of upset-minded 50-1 shots in the six-figure final of the Robert Murphy Memorial for trainer/driver Kelly Hoerdt.
A winner of two preliminary legs, Mickie Mantle landed in third as a four-wide Rum N Raisins took control for driver John Abbott through a contested :26 opener and was loose on the lead through a half in :55.4. Hoerdt gave the 6-5 favourite his cue approaching three-quarters in 1:24.2 and put away the pacesetter down the lane before holding off the late-closing longshots by half a length in 1:54.2. Chief Is Boss and Dennis Johnston rallied for second with Usual Suspect and Scott Knight closed up the pylons for third.
Mickie Mantle paid $4.40, $3.60 and $2.40 across the board.
Bred by Surdale Farms of Kelowna, B.C., the Custard The Dragon-N Y Yankees gelding is a full brother to last year's Robert Murphy Memorial champ Joe Dimagio, also campaigned by Hoerdt.
"That mare [N Y Yankees], she's been a pretty good producer for us," noted Hoerdt in a post-race interview. "I still own the brother, Joe Dimagio. He's racing out in Ontario and he actually just won a couple nights ago [at Woodbine Mohawk Park] so this one looks like he's going to turn out pretty good with some more age on him. He's getting stronger, so we'll hope for the best."
Hoerdt also shares ownership of Mickie Mantle, who won the Alberta Sires Stakes Super Final earlier this month, with Fred Gilbert of Brandon, Man.
"Well, this is what it's all about," said Hoerdt of the stakes victory. "I've got some great partners like Fred Gilbert. These guys step up to the plate and they don't come with empty pockets. You know, we buy nice horses, we expect results, so when this happens, it's pretty gratifying."
Mickie Mantle, who swept the five legs of the Robert Millbank Memorial Stakes as a two-year-old, has recorded six wins from 15 sophomore starts while boosting his bankroll to $234,998.
Driven by Phil Giesbrecht, Red N Ready upset reigning B.C. Breeders Stakes champion Side Piece in a photo finish to take the Mary Murphy Memorial final for three-year-old pacing fillies.
Riding a five-race win streak and looking to complete a sweep of the stakes series, Side Piece took control off the gate and set fractions of :27, :56.3 and 1:24.2 in rein to Brandon Campbell. But Red N Ready had other ideas and launched from third behind the gapping pocket-sitters, Crown Princess and Abbott, midway down the backstretch. Red N Ready caught upto Side Piece in the final turn and those two took off in a race of their own down the stretch, with Red N Ready ultimately nailing the 1-5 favourite at the wire in a career-best 1:53.3 clocking. Kahala Storm was the best of the rest, finishing 9-1/2 lengths behind the top pair in third for Jeff Hunt.
"It was just one of those things where we tried to push out. Johnny's horse [Crown Princess] was there, so I just sat third," said Giesbrecht. "I know Brandon's horse [Side Piece] has a hard time in the last turns, so I said I've got to get close to him somewhere and hope I can get him down the lane."
Red N Ready joined the stakes series last week for the third leg and was runner-up to Side Piece in that match-up. The Kyle Chadwick trainee was sent postward as the 8-1 second choice in the final and paid $18.20 to win and $2.10 to place. There was no show wagering.
Bred by Deanna and Charles Merritt of Langley, B.C., the Betterthancheddar-Shesamystery filly is now six-for-nine in her debut season with earnings soaring to $73,800 for local owner Robert Chadwick.
In regular racing action, the weekly $10,000 Preferred Handicap Pace was won by 3-5 favourite Sunshine Boy, who wore down pacesetter Itll Be Fine (:27.4, :57.4, 1:25.2) in the stretch and stopped the clock in 1:54 flat. Campbell drove the five-year-old Sunshine Beach-Betterfrombehind gelding, who earned his fourth straight Preferred victory, for trainer Jim Marino and partners J J J Stable and Paul Saunders. Waitin Ona River, driven by Kevin Anderson, edged out Itll Be Fine and Hoerdt in a photo for place.
To view Friday's harness racing results, click the following link: Friday Results - Fraser Downs.