Driver Brandon Campbell worked out a perfect pocket trip for Mercedes behind the streaking Shark Week and handed that rival his first loss in Preferred action at the 2024-2025 Century Mile meet, which wrapped up on Friday, Feb. 14.
With a killer crossover move from his assigned outside post eight in the $12,500 Preferred Handicap, 1-4 favourite Shark Week and Mike Hennessy took control into the first turn and put up a :27.2 opening quarter with Mercedes leaving with him from post seven and settling into second for Campbell.
Shark Week, who was riding a nine-race win streak with his last winner's circle appearance over three weeks ago, led the field down the backstretch past the half in :56.1 with Mercedes hot on his heels.
With Kioti and Phil Giesbrecht starting up from mid-field, Campbell made his move with Mercedes as Shark Week hit three-quarters in 1:26.1. Quickly closing in, Mercedes overtook Shark Week in the stretch and drew off at the end to win by 1-3/4 lengths in 1:55.3 over a track rated 'good' with a two second variant on the -18 degree evening in Edmonton, Alta.
Matts A Mystician and Nathan Sobey rallied off cover to finish second with General Custard closing from last to show for Dave Kelly. Kioti ended up fourth while Shark Week faded to fifth in his first loss since last April.
Sent postward as the 6-1 second choice after winning his season's debut at the Preferred 2 level on Jan. 25, Mercedes paid $15.90 to win. The five-year-old pacer earned his first top tier Preferred win after posting a pair of runner-up finishes in his prior attempts.
Mercedes gave Campbell his first win in the sulky this year as Canada's 2024 top percentage driver was back in action for the final two cards of the 2024-2025 Century Mile meet since taking a hiatus in early November to undergo surgery for a previous spinal injury. He later doubled up on the eight-race card.
A homebred son of All Bets Off out of Skade, Mercedes is coming off a consistent 2024 campaign when he earned a dozen wins from 18 starts and nearly $70,000 for owner Raymond Henry of Calgary, Alta. Lifetime, he now boasts 16 victories and five seconds from 29 starts with $92,186 in purse earnings.
Phil Giesbrecht topped the driver standings for the 2025 portion of the Century Mile meet with 20 wins while Nathan Sobey and Mike Hennessy tied for second with 14 victories each.
After securing his second win of the night in the finale, Travis Ellis ended with the most training wins at the meet in 2025, just edging out Mathew Howlett, who had swept the early Daily Double on closing day, finishing 14-13. Nathan Sobey rounded out the top three with 11 successful starters.
Live harness racing returns to Century Mile on Sept. 24. In the meantime, racing in Alberta will shift to Century Downs with the Calgary meet commencing on March 29.
To view Friday's harness racing results, click the following link: Friday Results - Century Mile.
(Standardbred Canada)