After a slew of cancellations due to track issues, Fraser Downs hosted a rare Monday night card of harness racing that featured some toteboard fireworks in the night's main event.
The $30,000 stakes final for BC-Bred pacing mares featured a full field of eight, with Hanks Mystress expected by many to dominate this group and capture her fourth straight win. But the complexion of the race changed dramatically when she broke stride for driver Kelly Hoerdt while pulling out of the pocket heading down the backstretch approaching the third quarter.
That bobble allowed front-running longshot A Cowboys Dream and driver Travis Bowman to sprint away on her rivals and post a gate-to-wire victory in 1:58.3, upsetting the field at odds of 40-1. A Cowboys Dream held off 23-1 shot Kisthisgirlgoodbye (Scott Knight) by a length and a half, with Maybe Baby (Paul Davies) just back of the top pair.
A recent purchase by owner Byron Weston of Langley, B.C., A Cowboys Dream (Living It Up - Ladies Luv Cowboys) picked up her first win of the year for trainer Brent Bodor. The $15,000 winner's share of the purse lifted her lifetime earnings to $48,230.
Hoerdt didn't find himself in the winner's circle in the feature event, but his stable did manage to click for three winners on a more than moist Monday night. Hot Kiss ($15.10; 1:57.2) was a wire-to-wire winner in the second race with David Hudon aboard, Northfield Nellie ($6.00; 1:57.4) and Hoerdt used similar tactics to take the fourth race, while Cusdmagicdragon ($7.30; 1:55.3) came from off the pace for Paul Davies to wear down stablemate Blue Grotto in the $12,000 Fillies & Mares Open.
With three more victories to his credit, Hoerdt now sports a sharp 0.648 training average that's the best in the nation.
To view the results from Monday's card of harness racing at Fraser Downs, click the following link: Monday Results - Fraser Downs.