Five-year-old gelding Nobody Can has been close on many occasions, but his narrow Sunday score in the $12,500 Open Pace marked the first time the former stakes champion won the Surrey oval's top overnight pacing race
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Nobody Can and driver Jim Marino followed along in fourth position while favourite Stop Calling (John Hudon) carved out fractions of :27.3, :56.3, and 1:25.3. Nobody Can, a Harvest Stake elimination winner and final runner-up last October, picked up cover from At Last (Kevin Anderson) after the half and came charging up into the three-horse win photo in deep stretch. Nobody Can prevailed by a head in 1:54.4 over the 'good' track rated one second slow. Stop Calling edged out At Last for the runner-up honours.
Nobody Can returned $17.40 for the mild 7-1 upset. The victory was his first of the season and 14th lifetime, pushing his bankroll to $223,551.
Ty O'Neill trains the Kents On Nuke-Battalia Hanover gelding, a full-brother to Open Mare champion Just Fiction, for owner and co-breeder the J J J Stables of Aldergrove, B.C.
Trainer-driver Allan Molloy also celebrated a career first of his own during the card. The 29-year-old Langley resident guided five-year-old mare Zeballos to a 1:57.2 two and three-quarter length score over Pureform Sydthekid (Carl Sibiga) and favourite Fortunate Design (Keith Clark) in the 10th race conditioning event. Langley's Evert Vandenborn owns and bred the As Promised-Shesaquestionmark mare, who swept to command from the two-hole after the half en route to providing Molloy with his first driving and training win in under 20 lifetime starts. Zeballos paid $7.90 to win as the 5-2 second choice.
Fresh off the claim last week, former O'Neill trainee Pretty Promised captured the 12th race featured $20,000 BBs Mirage Claiming Series final for his new owner, driver and conditioner Rod Therres of Surrey, B.C.
The popular Intrepid Kate (Serge Masse) established the early lead and put up a :28.2 opening quarter while Dine N Wine made a nasty break, but managed to stay on his feet under the guidance of driver Scott Knight. Intrepid Kate continued to lead past the half in :59.2 and three-quarters in 1:28 with Pretty Promised advancing first over from fifth and applying heavy pressure before edging out in front down the stretch. The six-year-old As Promised-L Pretty Tross mare prevailed by a neck in 1:57 over the persistent Intrepid Kate. Lady And Thetrench (Keith Clark) rallied off cover to nip the pocket-sitter Queens Heritaj (J.F. Gagne), who zipped up the passing lane to make it into the photo for show.
Pretty Promised, who finished a close third in both of her preliminary legs, paid $17.80 for the mild upset. The win, her second in seven starts this year and 14th lifetime, put her career earnings over the $100,000 mark.
To view Sunday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Sunday Results - Fraser Downs.