Sunshine Boy closed out his 2024 campaign just like he started it by winning the $10,000 Preferred Pace for Fraser Downs leading trainer Jim Marino as the British Columbia harness racing season wrapped up on a rainy Friday night, Dec. 27.
The final card of the 2024 season at Fraser Downs featured a field of a half dozen Preferred pacers, including outside assignee Itll Be Fine, who was riding a three-race win streak in the top class for driver Dave Hudon and trainer Rick Lancaster. Sunshine Boy, who had dominated the Winter/Spring meet with seven Preferred wins, was the quickest leaving just inside of that rival to establish command through a contested :26.2 opening quarter over the 'good' track. With Phil Giesbrecht catch-driving, the favoured Sunshine Boy continued on top through a :55.4 half while the parked-out Itll Be Fine faded.
Sunshine Boy also kept his challengers at bay during the second half when longshot Outlaw C My Shadow (Tyson Jacoby) made a first-over bid at three-quarters in 1:24.3 and then Itll Be Fine's stablemate, Rum N Raisins (Larry Small), rallied late off the cover in the stretch. Sunshine Boy scored in 1:54.3 by 1-1/2 lengths over the late challengers, returning $4.10 to win.
A 10-time winner last year, Sunshine Boy one-upped his season's best total, ending with 11 wins and $90,475 in purses from 30 starts this year. Marino co-owns the six-year-old Sunshine Beach-Betterfrombehind gelding, a 34-time career winner, with J J J Stables of Prince George, B.C., and Paul Sanders of Surrey, B.C.
The victory pushed Marino's 2024 win count at Fraser Downs to 79, which places him atop the local leaderboard. Rod Therres recorded 70 wins to place second and Kelly Hoerdt earned 48 wins to round out the top three trainers.
Hoerdt led all Fraser Downs drivers for wins this year with 83, edging out Scott Knight by a pair of victories for top honours. Allan Molloy drove 64 winners to finish third in the 2024 standings at the Surrey, B.C. oval.
Fraser Downs will host 56 race days in 2025 with harness racing scheduled to resume on Thursday, Feb. 13 at 7 p.m. PT.
To view Friday's harness racing results, click the following link: Friday Results - Fraser Downs.
(Standardbred Canada)