Three-year-old pacing colts Big N Bad and Beren Hanover won a pair of $12,500 eliminations for the Western Canada Pacing Derby on Saturday night over a frozen track at Northlands Park.
Big N Bad romped to a six and three-quarter length victory in the first elimination with Jim Marino aboard for trainer Lance Ward and the J J J Stables of Aldergrove, B.C.
Big N Bad bypassed a pocket spot and took over command from American Venture (Keith Clark) at the :28-second first quarter mark. The Badlands Hanover gelding proceeded to the half in :57.4 and three-quarters in 1:25.4 before drawing away to the 1:54.2 triumph. Outlaw Falcon (J.F. Gagne) was the runner-up with Brenin (Jamie Gray) finishing third and American Venture fourth.
Big N Bad was the 2-1 second choice to favourite Premium Attaction (Kelly Hoerdt), who broke stride when attempting a bold rush from backfield during the third panel. Big N Bad paid $5.10 to win for the seventh time in 26 starts this year.
Keith Clark trainee Beren Hanover converted a pocket trip into an elimination win with his stablemate Bettor In The Bank (Philip Giesbrecht) closing from the back of the pack for the runner-up honours.
Play Me Right (Brandon Campbell) turned back the parked out Pedal Steel (Jim Marino) through fractions of :27.4, :57.3 and 1:26.4. He was then confronted by the wide-rallying Blue Star Admiral (Bill Tainsh Jr.) before Beren Hanover and Clark maneuvered out into the three-path in the stretch and drew clear for the one and a quarter length victory in 1:56.2. Tip Top Tap (Rod Hennessy) finished third over Play Me Right.
Fresh off a victory in the Open Pace, even-money favourite Beren Hanover paid $4 to win. The Rocknroll Hanover colt now has five wins in 21 seasonal starts for Clark and co-owner Robert Jones of Slave Lake, Alta.
This week's $9,000 Open Pace was won by 10-1 longshot Sixdaysontheroad, who prevailed off a two-hole trip in 1:54.1 over pacesetter Playbook (Keith Clark). Bill Tainsh Jr. drove the seven-year-old son of Allamerican Native for trainer Joseph O'Brien and owners Walter Moroz of Edmonton and Willie Wychopen of St. Paul, Alta.
The $75,000 (guaranteed) final of the Western Canada Pacing Derby will take place next Saturday, December 7 at Northlands Park.
To view Saturday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Saturday Results - Northlands Park.