Midnite In La converted a perfect pocket trip into a narrow score over favourites Hollywood Warrior and Gramrun Jake in the $7,500 10-horse field elimination for the Mr Vancouver Stake for four-year-old B.C. owned, bred or sired male pacers on Friday night at Fraser Downs
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Midnite In La and driver Darren Howald followed Gramrun Jake (Tim Brown) through panels of :27.3, :56.4, and 1:25 before sweeping by in the stretch. The 19-1 Rick White trainee then held off Hollywood Warrior (Dave Hudon), who went three-wide around the stalling Stepuptotheplate (Richard Lancaster) into the final turn and came flying home to make it into the win photo. Midnite In La prevailed by a neck in 1:54.3. The pacesetter finished two and a half lengths behind in third.
Midnite In La paid a whopping $40.70 for his first win in four starts this year. The Grinfromeartoear-Rolling Acres Rose gelding was claimed for $9,000 at the end of his sophomore campaign on Boxing Day 2011 by David Woolley of Langley, B.C. He is now seven-for-20 lifetime and is closing in on $40,000 in purse earnings.
The $25,000 Mr Vancouver final will take place next weekend at Fraser Downs.
Earlier on the card, the mares were in the spotlight and Shes Rarin wrapped up the Miss Onager Claiming Series with a 1:56.4 winning performance in the $15,000 final for $5,500 claimers.
One of the elders in the race at age nine, the Rambaran-Ellen Storm mare survived a long first over journey to score her 36th career win and lift her lifetime earnings to more than $109,000 for driver Tim Brown and trainer-owner Dan Ingram. Early trailer and 33-1 longshot Hi Ho Serenade (Brad Watt) closed well for second, one and three-quarter lengths behind, while co-favourite Kg Tigress (Keith Clark) followed the winner's cover to finish third. Shes Rarin paid $18 to win.
In Mares Open action, Just Fiction, a B.C. Stallion Stakes champion last season, established a new mark of 1:54.2 with a front end effort in this week's $12,500 top pace.
Driven by Jim Marino, the four-year-old Kents On Nuke-Battalia Hanover mare cleared to command ahead of Jennas Pass (Keith Clark) after the :28-second opening quarter and reached middle markers of :57.4 and 1:26 before drifting out and holding off the pocket-sitter by three-quarters of a length. Just Fiction lowered her lifetime mark by more than one full second. She paid $4.50 to win as the odds-on favourite.
The career winner of nearly $180,000 is owned by the J J J Stables of Aldergrove, B.C. She is now two-for-four in her aged campaign for trainer Ty O'Neill.
To view Friday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Friday Results - Fraser Downs.