On the heels of another award-winning weekend for Alberta horseman Keith Clark, his Open contender, Clintons Escape, pulled off a mild upset victory in British Columbia's $12,500 top pace contested during a Jim Marino-dominated Sunday card at Fraser Downs
.
Clintons Escape and Fraser's 2011 leading trainer settled into third from Post 3 and followed along while Stop Calling and John Hudon led the six-horse field past fractions of :28, :56.4, and 1:25.1. Facing better racing conditions than his first two starts of the year in the slop where he finished sixth and third respectively, Clintons Escape went first up around the final turn and kicked home in :28.3 to come on for the one length triumph in 1:54.2. Despite drifting out badly in the stretch, Nobody Can, driven by the hot-handed Marino, came on for second while Stop Calling settled for third.
Clintons Escape paid $14.60 to win as the 6-1 fifth choice in the field. Clark, who was named Alberta's Trainer and Driver of the Year and tied for Horseman of the Year honours earlier this weekend at the 2011 ASHA Awards banquet, shares ownership of the five-year-old Clintons Cigar-Emotionaliscape gelding with breeder Allan Neurauter of High River, Alta. The bay pacer's 20th career win pushed his lifetime earnings over the $250,000 mark.
Marino's hot hands guided home winners in half of Sunday's 12 races. Fraser's 2011 leading driver scored his first two victories aboard his own trainees, Panic At The Disco ($5.50) and Roxy Roller ($2.70), in the first and third races. He also picked up back-to-back victories in the fifth and sixth races with the Walter Slopianka-trained Angelics Best ($3.40) and Sir Arthur ($7.20) for conditioner Michael Glover. Marino also drove the eighth race winner, Cold And Heartless ($5.30), for trainer Casandra Uppal and the 10th race champ, Cam On Mink ($4.30), another Glover trainee.
To view Sunday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Sunday Results - Fraser Downs.