Gramrun Jake left his four-year-old foes in the slop as he romped to an open length victory in the $25,000 Mr Vancouver Stake on Friday night at Fraser
Downs.
Driven by Tim Brown, the 6-5 favourite established the early lead from Post 3 with eventual breaker Stepuptotheplate (Richard Lancaster) rolling up to take over at the :27.3 first quarter mark. Refusing to sit a pocket trip, Gramrun Jake swept around that rival as the field moved in front of the grandstand for the first time and then reached the half-mile mark in :57.1.
Limit The Risk (Jim Marino) launched a first over attack from third down the backstretch, but Gramrun Jake opened up on top by three as they headed to three-quarters in 1:25.3. The Camcracker-Roxette Hanover gelding widened that margin as he entered the stretch and cruised home uncontested to win. The time of the mile was 1:54.3 over the sloppy track, which was rated two seconds slow. Limit The Risk finished five lengths behind in second while the slightly favoured elimination runner-up, Hollywood Warrior (Dave Hudon), followed his cover for third. Elim winner Midnite In La (Darren Howald) was fourth.
Gramrun Jake, a third place finisher in last week's elim, paid $4.70 to win this time out as the second choice.
Langley's Dan Ingram trains and owns the career winner of 10 races and $142,740 in purse earnings. The victory was Gramrun Jake's first of his aged campaign in three starts. The bay four-year-old banked close to $100,000 at three thanks in part to sweeping the B.C. Sales Stakes and Robert Murphy Breeders Stakes, and finishing second in the Western Canada Pacing Derby.
In other action Friday night, the Spartacus Series for $9,000 claimers began with a pair of $7,500 divisions going to the front-striding Tre Bien ($6.20) for driver Jim Marino and trainer-owner Walter Slopianka, and the pocket-pulling Kg Mattattack ($9.60), driven, trained and owned by Serge Masse.
To view Friday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Friday Results - Fraser Downs.