Following her runner-up effort in the Century Casinos Pace, three-year-old filly Saphire Blue took on the top distaffers at Century Mile on Friday night (Dec. 16).
Leaving from post three in the $13,500 Fillies & Mares Preferred Handicap, Saphire Blue charged past fellow sophomore filly Shoot The Whiskey (Jamie Gray) into the first turn for driver Phil Giesbrecht but gave way to 4-5 favourite Stash The Cookies (Logan Gillis), a winner of nine Mares Preferred/Open events in Alberta this year, as that outside assignee swept up from the backfield through a :28.3 first quarter to take over command.
Saphire Blue followed in the pocket from there through middle splits of :57.1 and 1:26.1 before getting the jump on the first-over L A Woman (Nathan Sobey) at the top of the lane. With Stash The Cookies tiring through the long stretch, Saphire Blue seized the lead and held off Shoot The Whiskey at the pylons to win by one length, with L A Woman finishing third after her own first Preferred class win last week.
Saphire Blue established a new lifetime mark of 1:55.1 over the 'good' track and paid $18.20 to win after being let go at odds of 8-1.
Harold Haining trains the Vertical Horizon-Saucy B filly, who earned her fourth win of the season from 20 starts, for owner Donald Richardson of Cochrane, Alta. With the victory, Saphire Blue improved her record to 9-3-6 from 26 starts while her bankroll climbed over $120,000.
To view Friday's harness racing results, click the following link: Friday Results - Century Mile.