Repeating a feat accomplished in the last Preferred Pace held two weeks ago at Fraser Downs, trainer Rick Lancaster sent out the top two finishers in the Friday, Dec. 20 edition with Itll Be Fine topping Rum N Raisins once again.
The Lancaster stablemates duked it out for the top spot through a :27.2 opening quarter over the 'good' track, firing off the gate together in the $10,000 feature with 3-5 favourite Itll Be Fine and driver Dave Hudon forging ahead first before Rum N Raisins and John Abbott looped to the lead. Itll Be Fine bided his time behind Rum N Raisins through middle splits of :56.3 and 1:24.3 before sweeping by in the stretch to a two-length tally in 1:53 flat. Rum N Raisins held on for second place as Outlaw C My Shadow (Tyson Jacoby) closed inside while Sunshine Boy (Scott Knight) and Pureform Mr Toffee (Blaine Chappell) completed the compact field of five.
Itll Be Fine (Hes Watching-Modern Hanover) has won the Preferred three times in a row and seven times during the current meet. He has won a total of 11 races this year from 37 starts while earning more than $85,000 for Lancaster and co-owner Leslie Godlien of Langley, B.C. The five-year-old gelding's career-best campaign has lifted his lifetime win total to 26 and bankroll to $239,588. He paid $3.40 to win.
In the next race, Rebecca Kanak capped off a training triple on the nine-race card with a 1-2 finish of her own as 4-5 favoured Bay Street Buddy ($3.60) and driver Allan Molloy caught stablemate Light My Shadow and Tyson Jacoby at the wire to win the eighth race for $8,000 claimers in 1:55.1.
Kanak's earlier winners were four-year-old claiming pacer Airline Pilot ($5), who gave Fraser's leading reinsman Kelly Hoerdt the first of his four Friday driving wins, and three-year-old pacing gelding Tzilacatzin ($32.80), who kicked off the driving double for Molloy.
Kanak, a native of Saskatoon, Sask., sports an impressive .416 UTRS in her first full season of training, with 36 wins from 141 starts and earnings approaching $200,000.
To view Friday's harness racing results, click the following link: Friday Results - Fraser Downs.
(Standardbred Canada)