Driver Brandon Campbell swept the Keith Linton and Penny Bath Memorial stakes for four-year-old pacers on Sunday afternoon (Feb. 20) at Fraser Downs, courtesy of his own stable star Sunshine Boy and the Kelly Hoerdt-trained Uptown Hanover.
Sunshine Boy ($3.70) stole the spotlight in the $56,250 Keith Linton Memorial, catching Kootenay Santanna right at the finish line.
Trained and driven by Campbell, 4-5 favourite Sunshine Boy launched his attack from the backfield after opening panels of :26.4 and :55.1 then began to reel in the runaway leader Kootenay Santanna (Phil Giesbretch) approaching three-quarters in 1:23.1. After ducking into the gaping two-hole on the final turn, he chased down the even-money pacesetter in the stretch, prevailing in a photo finish with a career-best 1:51.2 effort. Helter Skelter (Rod Therres) finished three lengths behind in third.
Following top three finishes in a pair of Open events at Fraser Downs this month leading up the Linton, the Western Canada Pacing Derby champion paid $3.70 to win.
Sunshine Boy is now three-for-five this year, with 11 career wins and earnings totalling $163,646 for Alberta-based owners Jodi Loftus, Dana Shore and George Rogers.
Uptown Hanover rallied three-wide turning for home and blew by the duelling duo on top down the stretch to win the companion $73,125 Penny Bath Memorial for mares.
There was an early tussle for the lead, with the favoured elimination winner Exotic Dragon (Dave Kelly) getting away on top while a four-wide leaving Graceful Horizon (Phil Giesbretch) was left parked out through a :26.3 opening quarter. Graceful Horizon drove on but remained parked into the clubhouse turn and was stretched out through a :54.1 half before she cleared. Exotic Dragon didn't sit long and was back out on the way to three-quarters in 1:23 with Uptown Hanover underway and poised to make her winning three-wide move turning for home with fresh legs after watching the early action from fifth. Uptown Hanover launched off cover and drew off by 4-1/2 lengths in 1:52.2. In High Cotton (Dave Hudon), one of three other Hoerdt trainees in the race, closed to finish second over Graceful Horizon and Exotic Dragon.
Sent postward as the 9-5 second choice after winning her Penny Bath elimination last weekend, Uptown Hanover returned $5.60 to win.
The daughter of Somebeachsomewhere, who kicked off the year winning the Century Casinos Filly Pace in Alberta, has won four of her five starts in 2022 for Hoerdt and co-owner Carole Dunbar of Richardson, Sask. She now has nine career wins and $175,561 in purses.
To view Sunday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Sunday Results - Fraser Downs.