There was no comedown for Brandon Campbell after a milestone evening on Friday as the driver steered six winners on Saturday, Nov. 29 at Century Mile, including Mercedes in the Preferred Pace.
In that $16,000 featured event, Campbell and Mercedes got the golden trip behind Shark Week (Mike Hennessy), who charged out from post five to assume command. After sitting the pocket through fractions of :27.3 and :56.3, Mercedes angled out nearing three-quarters in 1:26.2 and vaulted past Shark Week, streaking clear to a wrapped-up 1:54.3 victory. Midnight Mover (James Jungquist) was 1-3/4 lengths behind after kicking home for second, followed by Caviart Scotland (Phil Giesbrecht).
The razor-sharp Mercedes put up his fifth win in his last seven starts, all at the Preferred level, and improved to seven-for-15 on the season. Campbell trains the five-year-old intact son of All Bets Off-Skade for Raymond Henry of Calgary, Alta. Mercedes has won 21 times in 42 lifetime efforts and has earned $150,496. He paid $3.30 at the windows.
Campbell was prominent throughout the card with wins in Races 1, 3, 7, 9, 10, and 11. The Calgary, Alta. reinsman, who reached $20 million in earnings last night, scored with Outlaw Playmymovie ($3), Catch Me Oliver ($3.30), Mercedes, Blue Powder ($2.90), Rapido Dom ($16.70), and Kellys Chase ($4.40), saluting the crowd and tucking the whip away as he approached the line in the finale. He is now 181-for-698 this year and moved into third in the Century Mile standings with the Saturday performance.
He shared the spotlight with trainer Rebecca Kanak, who supplied four of the evening’s 11 winners and won the first three races in order. Campbell teamed two of that early trio, combining with Kanak for wins with Outlaw Playmymovie, who won in his first start for the conditioner, and Catch Me Oliver, who is now two-for-four for Kanak. The trainer’s other two wins came with recent addition Disco Dancer ($5) and Tahuya Velocious ($2.60), a winner of four straight starts, both driven by Mike Hennessy.
Kanak, in her third training season, is striking at 34.1 per cent rate with 75 wins in 220 starts. The Saskatoon, Sask. resident has set personal bests in wins earnings in 2025 and now has 114 victories from 380 lifetime starts.
To view Saturday’s harness racing results, click the following link: Saturday Results - Century Mile.
(Standardbred Canada; photo of Mercedes winning on Nov. 29)