Midnight Destroyer made his harness racing debut a winning one in the $40,000 BC Stallion Stake for two-year-old colts and geldings while S R S Annie upset Just Fiction's win streak in the matching filly stake on Friday night at Fraser Downs
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Midnight Destroyer and driver David Hudon rallied off cover from the backfield to take the first stake event of the evening.
Driver Mike Hennessy sent Just Ryan to the lead from Post 5 and the even-money favourite put up a first quarter in :28.2 while Midnight Destroyer got away last after an outside Post 6 start.
As the colts raced in front of the grandstand for the first time, Limit The Risk (Ed Hensley) pulled the pocket and brushed to command. The new leader took the field to the half in :58.3 while Ghostrider (Scott Knight) moved underway from the backfield flushing Just Ryan back out again.
Just Ryan surged to the top and raced past the third interval in 1:28.2 with Ghostrider rolling up alongside and the backfield angling out at the top of the stretch. Flying home on the far outside, Midnight Destroyer swept past his rivals for the 1:59 half-length victory. Casino Warrior (Jim Marino) came on for second over Ghostrider and Just Ryan.
Midnight Destroyer paid $4.90 to win as part of the favoured entry. Trained Debra McCarthy owns and bred the Kents On Nuke-Kbs Midnight colt with Mark Anderson of Willows, California.
Driven by Hennessy, S R S Annie pulled off a mild upset as she put an end to Just Fiction's perfect seven-race win streak in the BC Stallion Stake for freshmen fillies.
S R S Annie left alertly from Post 4, beating out Just Fiction (Ed Hensley) for the early lead. The Allamerican Cobalt-Red Star Sunbeam filly reached the opening quarter in :28.1.
As the fillies straightened out in front of the grandstand, Just Fiction pulled the pocket and took over. She then proceeded to the half in :58 and three-quarters in 1:27.3.
As the fillies entered the stretch once again, it was S R S Annie who moved out of the hole this time and surged ahead to score the victory in 1:57.4 by two lengths. Just Ryan was the runner-up while Oil Town Emelia (James Burke) edged out Imherefortheparty (Rene Goulet) to show.
S R S Annie paid $19.00 for the 8-1 upset. The bay filly improved her record to 3-1-1 in eight starts while her bankroll climbed to $30,150 for trainer Thomas Michael Miller and co-owner Gordon Elliott of Langley, B.C.
In regular racing action, Tre Bien ($3.60) delivered on his pari-mutuel promise with a wire-to-wire performance in the $10,000 Open Pace for trainer-driver Ed Hensley, who shares ownership with the J J J Stables of Aldergrove, B.C.
The seven-year-old son of Nobleland Sam-Tre Cress stopped the clock in 1:53.3, winning by two and a half lengths over pocket-sitter Cardiff Hanover (Mike Hennessy) and Kg Explorer (Rene Goulet).
Tre Bien notched his fourth win in 12 starts this year and lifted his earnings to $25,874 for 2010 and $284,707 lifetime.
To view Friday's results, click here.