Just Fiction delivered as the favourite with a pylon-skimming score in the $12,500 Fillies & Mares Open Pace on Friday night at Fraser Downs
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With the late scratch of Jans Rich Girl, the field was reduced to seven and firing out first from the inside post was Red Star Hannah (Tim Brown) while the starter to her right, Miss Valentine Stake champion Village Janus (Serge Masse), made a costly break. Miss Valentine runner-up by a nose Just Fiction and Jim Marino settled in for a two-hole trip with Jennas Pass (Keith Clark) finding a slot in third.
Red Star Hannah carved out fractions of :28.2, :57.4 and 1:25.3 and turned back a first over challenge from Itza Free For All (J.F. Gagne) into the stretch. However, the leading mare couldn't hold off Just Fiction, who zipped up the passing lane to score in 1:55.1 by one and a quarter length over a sloppy track rated two seconds slow. The late-rallying Jennas Pass bested Red Star Hannah in a photo finish for second.
The victory was Just Fiction's third in five four-year-old outings and pushed her earnings to $26,000 for trainer Ty O'Neill and the J J J Stables of Aldergrove, B.C. The Kents On Nuke-Battalia Hanover homebred is now 19-for-27 in her career with a bankroll totalling $192,490.
Just Fiction paid $4.80 to win as the 3-2 favourite.
The streaking Outlawdangruswatrs ($2.90) made a splash on Friday night as he front-stepped his way to his fifth straight win, matching his season's mark in 1:56, in his fourth race conditioning assignment. The four-year-old Smart Shark gelding is trained and reigned by Keith Clark and owned by Timothy Kane of St. Albert along with Ann and Harvey Jaeger of Okotoks, Alta.
Earlier on the card, the Spartacus Claiming Series continued with a pair of $7,500 second leg divisions for $10,500 claimers. Veteran gelding Rehearsal Hall ($18.80) went wire-to-wire to win the first split in 1:55.1 upsetting the popular first leg winner Tre Bien. J.F. Gagne co-owns and drives the 11-year-old Marjorie Dumont trainee. Another veteran, 10-year-old Stiletto Hall ($15.10), pulled off a mild upset when he rallied home from the four-hole to prevail by half a length over pocket-sitter Tax Relief in 1:55.3 for driver Serge Masse and trainer Don Monkman Jr.
To view Friday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Friday Results - Fraser Downs.