The photo finish camera was put to work as Playbook and Cowboy Caper won their respective $12,500 Western Canada Pacing Derby eliminations for three-year-old colts by the slimmest of margins on a snowy -13 degree Saturday evening at Northlands Park.
Playbook held off a late-closing Steve O to win the first elimination by a nose.
With Bobby Clark in the sulky, Playbook grabbed the lead from post two and cruised past panels of :28.4, :59.2 and 1:28 while slight favourite Steve O (J.F. Gagne) leap-frogged around one rival into a gapping two-hole.
Down the stretch, B.C. Breeders Stakes runner-up Steve O kicked into high-gear as he charged after the pacesetter, but came up just a whisker short at the wire. Playbook held on to win in 1:57 flat for trainer Keith Clark, who guided a from-last Somethinsgoinon to a fourth-place finish to make next week's final with his stablemate. No Fear (Brandon Campbell) advanced from the backfield to show.