Positioned 12 lengths off a quick clip, Exit Smiling circled by faltering leaders and slid clear to a nine-and-a-half length victory in the $46,000 Alberta Maverick sires stakes final, for three-year-old colts and geldings, on Sunday, Nov. 4 at Century Downs.
Its A Great White shot from the rail for the lead with Peace Out Posse also leaving for position and Tap The Keg inheriting a stalking spot from the second tier. Peace Out Posse failed to clear to the cones past a :27 opening quarter and advanced uncovered after the leader heading to a :56.2 half.
Exit Smiling ranged towards the leaders moving to the backstretch and, by three-quarters in 1:26, recouped over 10 lengths to claim control rounding the final turn. Yankee Up, tracking the sweep, moved into second in the stretch as Exit Smiling led by a wide margin in progress to a 1:55.3 mile. Captain Terminator, riding the rail, took third.
Owned by Fred Gillis, Geoff Smith, Natasha Peiskar and trainer-driver Jamie Gray, Exit Smiling won his sixth race in 11 starts, earning $67,831. The Vertical Horizon gelding paid $7.00 to win.
Freshman colt and gelding pacers contested on the Sunday program in two $24,600 divisions of the Alberta Shooting Star sires stakes event.
Outlawgrabbingears took the first division going wire to wire in 1:58.2. The odds-on favourite by Smart Shark led to a :29.1 first quarter and bared first-over pressure from Hf Thegreatpumpkin through a :59.3 half and a 1:28.3 third quarter. Outlawgrabbingears turned away his uncovered challenger, who promptly retreated around the final turn, and held a one-and-three-quarter length margin on pocket-rider I Ama Rocket on the wire. Chase Me Forever, from third over, closed for third.
Winning his fifth race in seven starts, Outlawgrabbingears competes for owner-driver Paul Davies along with partners Nicole Cecchin and Deborah Pinel. Rod Starkewski trains the $3.00 winner.
Go Nine O also won going wire to wire with a 1:58.4 mile in the second division of the Shooting Star. Trainer-driver Kelly Hoerdt placed the Custard The Dragon gelding on top and led unchallenged through splits of :29.2, :59.3 and 1:29.3. Crackle N Burn mounted a late pocket-popping bid in the lane but Go Nine O withstood pressure to win by three-quarter lengths while Hf Shadow Racer, behind the top two the whole way, finished 12 lengths back in third.
J J J Stables, Jim Marino and Kelly Hoerdt own the winner of three races from eight starts. Go Nine O, earning $35,218, returned $3.40 to win.
To view Sunday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Sunday Results - Century Downs.
Meridian Continues With
Meridian Continues With Blasts From The Pasts... (Atlantic Post Calls - June, 2018)
Breeder Bill Andrew, of Meridian Farms, enjoys bringing back the names, from days gone by, when it comes to putting a name on his yearlings.
"I've probably been more a race fan than anything over the years and certainly remember looking over the fence at the CDP, Summerside, Truro, Sackville Downs, Fredericton and the Cape Breton Turf Club," said the 2018 Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame inductee. "Years ago I thought it would be neat to bring back some of the old Maritime names."
Killarny Boy (who was named after a good open horse from Cape Breton), Victory Creed (who Bill's Grandfather trained when he worked for Doug Walsh), Dance Me Loose (a tough old Cape Breton horse) and Caledonian (after Elmer Ferguson's Caledonian Scott) were just some of the 'blasts from the past' that were resurrected in Western Canada.
"We've had War Cry Ranger (named after an old Maritime free-for-aller), Acemor (after a good old Sackville Downs horse) and Onaway (an old horse from the Truro area)," Andrew continued. "Back in Eastern Canada we named Coronation Rose (after Charlie MacKay's good Cape Breton mare), Ringmaster (a free-for-aller from the 50's) and there were many others."
Andrew says that to be along the fence, watching the races, in places like Summerside, Fredericton and Inverness was always a great time. "I'm darn proud of my Maritime roots and I love preserving some of the old names."
Some may remember the good trotting mare Exit Smiling - a track record holder at both the CDP and SRW from back in the day... She now has her namesake currently racing at Century Downs and he looks to be all right, so far, in his young career.
The 'pacer' Exit Smiling, was bred by Terry McIsaac and Meridian Farms of Calgary...
Cool name and maybe a bit of
Cool name and maybe a bit of history?
There was a trotter who held the Truro Raceway track record for around a decade or little more prior to 1983. I can't remember the breeder or the owners but Meridian Farms is also based out of PEI, so I am wondering if this was possibly the previous name of one of their horses or more probable if a connection, as the breeder. If there is, does anyone also know why the connection/meaning/relevance to the name?
In reply to Cool name and maybe a bit of by Trevor O
I can help you out with the
I can help you out with the name, Exit Smiling was owned by Dr. George Bishop of Charlottetown & Lexington, Ky., and as trained & raced by Ellwood Shaw.