Stash The Cookies prevailed in a close call after an Outlaw Sharktastic attack in deep stretch on Friday night for back-to-back wins in the $12,500 Fillies & Mares Preferred Pace at Century Mile.
With Jamie Gray picking up the catch-drive in this week's Mares Preferred for trainer John Chappell, Stash The Cookies ($5.50) was a 1:55 winner on the -17 degree winter-like night in Edmonton, besting Outlaw Sharktastic and Nathan Sobey for the second time in a row, with favoured Outlawabovenbeyond and Mike Hennessy checking in third once again.
Leaving alongside of her main rival, Stash The Cookies overtook pylon starter Outlaw Sharktastic in the first turn and set fractions of :28.3, :57.3 and 1:26.2 before the late stretch duel that ended in a win photo. Outlaw Sharktastic try to reel in the leader near the wire but came up just a head short as Stash The Cookies dug in to earn her 40th career victory and send her earnings over the $400,000 mark.
The Sunfire Blue Chip-Saucy B mare has won 10 of 15 starts during her eight-year-old campaign for owner Derek Gilbert of Brandon, Man.
While Sobey settled for the runner-up honours in the feature, he won five other races. The Sturgeon County, Alta. horseman drove a pair of winners from his own stable, Cheese Whiz ($7.90) and Diva Amour ($3), in addition to the maiden-breaking four-year-old Shotgun Willie ($2.90) for trainer Kelly Crump, 12-year-old pacer Diggin A Trench ($8.60), who ended a 30-race losing streak this year for Lance Ward, and the back-to-back winning sophomore colt Lite Of The Dragon ($6.50) for Jacques Lambert.
To view the complete results for Friday's nine-race program, click the following link: Friday Results - Century Mile.
(Standardbred Canada)