Two eliminations for the Jim Vinnell Memorial were contested on Sunday (Dec. 1), as aged pacing horses and geldings put their best hooves forward for the Fraser Downs faithful.
The elims, each of which featured a purse of $10,000, were carded as the first two races on the 11-dash docket.
A compact field of five faced the gate for the first of the elims, and when the starting gate sped away it was the Paul Davies-driven Icy Blue Scooter that proved that he wanted the point from the outset.
Davies and the Nathan Sobey trainee raced on the outside past the :27.2 quarter pole and settled down onto the engine in the second panel. The duo was ahead by two and a half lengths by the time they clicked off the opening half mile in :55.3. That lead was reduced to two lengths by the time they spun off three quarters in 1:23.1.
There was no catching Icy Blue Scooter late on Sunday, as he and Sobey finished off their mile with a 28-second final quarter. The win time was 1:51.1 and the margin of victory was two and three-quarter lengths.
Peace Out Posse, who came calling from third for driver Kelly Hoerdt, finished second, while the Brandon Campbell-driven Classy Artist finished third after a two-hole trip.
Icy Blue Scooter returned a $3.00 win mutuel after having been sent off as the public’s odds-on choice.
Icy Blue Scooter, who is a six-year-old gelded son of Blue Burner, races for owners Nathan Sobey (of Sturgeon County, Alta.), Diane Bertrand (Edmonton, Alta.) and Robert Gilhespy (Edmonton, Alta.).
In the second of the elims, Iwontdothatagain raced fourth through the middle half of the mile, but came on late to spring a 9-1 upset and post a $21.50 win mutuel for his backers.
The eight-year-old gelded son of Stonebridge Regal started from Post 4 for driver Scott Knight and was third at the :26.3 quarter pole. He then slipped to fourth through the :55.3 half and 1:23.2 three quarters.
Knight had the Kelly Hoerdt trainee on his toes in the final panel, as the pilot asked for pace and received it. Iwontdothatagain fired in the lane, picked off three of his foes via a :27.1 final quarter, and got up to notch a nose win in 1:51.2.
The Paul Davies-driven Sabine Pass, who had fought and earned the lead with a first-over brush, had to settle for second. The Brandon Campbell-driven Boiling Oar, who had also raced overland in the mile, finished just three quarters of a length back in third.
Iwontdothatagain races for Kelly Hoerdt (Beaumont, Alta.) and Ed Keryliuk (Edmonton, Alta.).
To view the harness racing results for Sunday at Fraser, click the following link: Sunday Results – Fraser Downs.