Stash The Cookies led all the way to repeat in the $14,000 Fillies & Mares Preferred Pace featured on Friday night, Dec. 8 at Century Mile.
Fresh off a wire-to-wire score in last week's distaff feature, 4-5 favourite Stash The Cookies fired off the gate once again from post four and crossed to command for driver Brandon Campbell as the field of five headed into the first turn. Stash The Cookies set fractions of :27.4, :56.2 and 1:25 with 9-5 second choice Daisy Corvette and Mike Hennessy hot on her heels as those two mares gained some separation from the rest of their foes. Daisy Corvette popped the pocket down the lane, but Stash The Cookies delivered on her pari-mutuel promise as she scored in 1:53 flat for her 30th career win.
The bettors' choice returned $3.90 to win. Daisy Corvette settled for second, finishing 1-3/4 lengths behind, while Saphire Blue completed the trifecta 8-1/2 lengths back for Dave Kelly as she edged out the first-over Sunshineatthebeach and Jamie Gray in a show photo.
Trained by John Chappell, Stash The Cookies has now won three of her last four starts in the Mares Preferred class and boasts eight victories on the season from 25 races. A career winner of more than $300,000 in purses, the seven-year-old Sunfire Blue Chip-Saucy B mare has banked $74,625 of her bankroll this year for owner Derek Gilbert of Brandon, Man.
The win was one of three in a row mid-card for Campbell, Century Mile's season-leading driver.
Dave Kelly also enjoyed a productive night, sending out four winners from his own stable and catch-driving another for trainer Jacques Lambert. Kelly kicked off the nine-race card by posting a 38-1 shocker with his mare Outlaw Blue Isle ($79.60) and then steered his stable's maiden-breaking three-year-old filly CF Saving Grace ($4.40) to a 6-1/2-length triumph in the next race. Kelly drove his own trainee Outlaw Allie Oops ($5.20) to victory later in the sixth race and made another appearance in the winner's circle courtesy of Lambert's Go On Bow Bow ($11.20) after the seventh. The Kelly stable swept the top two spots in the eighth race with Cease Fire ($15.20) driven to victory by Phil Giesbrecht over Lunch Pail Guy and his trainer.
With 37 wins this season at Century Mile, Kelly tops the track's trainer standings. His four scores on Friday pushed the stable's total 2023 win count to 80, a new career-best topping his 79 wins last year.
To view Friday's harness racing results, click the following link: Friday Results - Century Mile.